Angel In The Dirt: The Complete Series
by Debwood-1999
Summary: At last! The complete series featuring Jay/Christian and his journey with the Wyatts. Follow Jay as he is literally pulled off a ledge and rescued and restored by his adopted family. Jay/Luke, various OC's. Full disclaimers and warnings inside.
1. Break Me: Chapter One

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I'm currently taking a hiatus from writing to give my muses a much-needed vacation, but I decided to put my entire** ** _Angel In The Dirt_** **series into one easy to read story. I'll keep the originals up so that readers can go through them individually.**

 **This series is a continuation (sort of) of a series of stories written by theytalktome on FFDN (AKA valiumforaviper on Deviant Art, AKA ItsBeckettBitch on Twitter), featuring Luke Harper and Jay (Christian) as the main pair. Don't worry, I asked permission and made sure I got it first before putting ANY of this down.**

 **There's a lot of flashbacks and POV in this story, so I've tried very hard to make things easy to follow. Book One is Jay's story. Book Two is Luke's story. Book Three is Bray's story.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: First and foremost, NOT MY CHARACTERS, with the exception of my OC's. They're the property of the WWE. Avatar/book cover is courtesy of nerii5963 on Deviant Art, and it is used with permission as well. Sermons, promos, etc, are courtesy of a great site called cagematch dot net, which is run by Phillip Kreikenbohm, and contains tons of promo transcripts. Online onslaught dot net and Wikipedia provide play by play when needed. Other sources will be quoted when necessary.**

 **SIDEBAR: I'm not on the bandwagon of writing someone as evil outside the ring just because they're portrayed as heels in the ring. The Wyatts are a complex and fascinating group in and out of the ring, and I hope I can write them as such in this story. So, without further adieu...**

 ** _Angel In The Dirt: The Complete Series  
By Debwood-1999_**

 ** _Break Me: Chapter One_**

 _"The 3 things that pro wrestlers become after ring work over. They are - become a preacher, do bad standup (comedy). And bitch that they did not get used right!"  
Dusty Rhodes via Twitter_

 _I guess I should start this story the day after Wrestlemania 30. I was still angry over being excluded from the card, but Bray convinced me that it was a blessing in disguise. And he was right, as usual. After seeing what happened with poor Damien Sandow, I was actually_ relieved _to sit things out._

 _Anyway, the day after Wrestlemania 30, Bray, Luke and Erick faced John Cena, Sheamus and Big E. in a six-man tag team match. The Wyatts won after Bray planted Big E. into the canvas with the finishing move he named after Sister Abigail. I was surprised at how much the crowd was behind them. It was obvious that the bloom had come off the rose long ago where John Cena and his band of Homogenized Funsters was concerned. The WWE Universe wanted something new and different...and the Wyatts fit the bill._

 _To be honest, Wrestlemania 30 was when I finally saw the writing on the wall. After over two decades of putting my body on the line for the entertainment of the masses, it was time for me to step away. I'd taken my career as far as Vince McMahon would allow it to go, and now it was time for me to cut him loose and take the next step in my life journey._

 _The only problem was that I'd have to leave everyone that I loved behind._

 _Everyone thinks that Bray Wyatt is a monster. And that's right. He is one, and he can be exceptionally cruel. But he's also the bravest man I know. He's a monster because he's willing to go toe to toe with this world and take the fight to those who thumb their noses at him. And if he's being cruel, it's only because he loves you. Sometimes, like that Nick Lowe song goes, you gotta be cruel to be kind._

 _I should know all about Bray's cruelty. If it wasn't for him and his cruelty, I wouldn't be writing this. I'd be six feet under._

 _In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm part of the Wyatt family._

 _And brace yourselves...Luke Harper is my lover._

 _It's been that way for the better part of a year. Joining the Wyatts wasn't by choice at first. I screamed and kicked and fought at every turn. But after a while I realized that I was part of the family for a reason._

 _A year ago, I was planning to kill myself. Bray, Luke, and Erick literally pulled me off the ledge I was planning to jump off of. They made me realize that I really didn't_ want _to end my life. I wanted someone to_ save me. _The Wyatts saved me. Though it wasn't in the way that I'd imagined._

 _Everyone thinks that Bray's message is nothing but a pack of lies, and the ravings of a lunatic mind, and that all he and his family want to do is watch the world burn down. And yeah, that's right too. He wants to watch this world burn...the same way a farmer watches his spoiled crops burn so that they rise up again. This world, this poisoned, sick, twisted world must be burned down so that it can be reborn, into something more vibrant and godly._

 _Everyone in the WWE Universe assumes that everything Bray and his followers do is for themselves. Well, that's where they're wrong._

 _Bray does what he does for the children. Children are the foundation of what tomorrow brings. Their eyes and ears are open, and so are their minds. And they can separate the truth from the lies. Get them early, teach them true, and there's no stopping them._

 _Bray does what he does for the poor man that stands day and night begging on the side of the street starving because the masses didn't think he was smart enough to eke out an existence in this world. He does this for the teenage girl who wakes up crying very morning when she looks in the mirror because they didn't think she was beautiful enough to be the prom queen._

 _Bray Wyatt does this for each and every one of you._

 _All you gotta do is stand by the Eater of Worlds and believe, and you'll never be alone. Stand with him and believe, and you won't remember him as a liar or a lunatic, but you'll remember Bray Wyatt for what he really is:_

 _An angel in the dirt._

~~~ANGEL~~~

Jay twined his fingers through Luke's hair and rested his hands at the back of the younger man's head. "Do I really have to go back home tomorrow? I'd like to spend some more time with you."

"You have to," Luke told him, gently. He and Jay were back in their hotel room following the RAW taping. Erick and Bray had gone out for a quick bite to eat, leaving the two of them to spend some quiet time with each other. "Bray says it's the next part of your life journey. In order for you to spread his message properly, you have to immerse yourself in the culture, get acquainted with everyone. And what better place to start than back home?"

"He does have a point. And I of all people should understand the rigors of this business. This is your job, you _have_ to go. But not traveling with you for a while...just feels kinda weird."

"What's weird about it? The fact that you're going back home, or that Bray and Erick and I are going without you?"

"Neither of those, really," Jay admitted. "It's weird in the sense that Vince is all crazy about the three of you, and he hates my guts."

"The way he treats you? He can go piss up a flagpole as far as I'm concerned." Luke shrugged. He and Jay broke up laughing. When the mirth died down somewhat, he added, "Don't tell him I said that."

"I won't."

A pause. "I'm not ready, Luke." Jay sighed, resting his head in the hollow of Luke's shoulder. He inhaled, breathing in his lover's scent. He liked how Luke smelled; like wood smoke and leaves, faint musk and slight sweatiness. If Jay could stay here all day, he would. "I haven't finished the Seven Diamonds Plus One study. I have so many questions I want answers to, and not enough time to ask them. It'll take me years before I'm even _close_ to Bray's level of understanding."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Bray's light years ahead of you, and he _still_ asks a lot of questions."

"I just don't wanna seem like I don't know what I'm talking about."

"You'll do fine."

"You think so? Or is Bray just blowing smoke in my face?"

"I _know_ so. Bray knew from the moment he first lay eyes on you that you were destined for something special."

 _Bray knew from the moment he first lay eyes on you that you were destined for something special._ The words had been pounded into Jay's head so much, that he couldn't find a reason _not_ to believe them. They'd given him a purpose, a motivation, a life.

"You're wearing your necklace," Luke grinned, running his big fingers across the hematite Zuni bear that dangled from its cord at Jay's throat. He'd given Jay the necklace as a Christmas gift. It was nothing fancy or expensive, but what it meant to the older blonde made it priceless.

"I never take it off." Jay grinned back. A sly look entered his eyes as he let his fingers glide up his lover's massive chest. Luke sensed Jay's intentions and arched a glossy eyebrow. "Perhaps we should get a bit more...comfortable?"

"I thought we were comfortable enough already," Luke shrugged, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well.." Jay slipped his hands beneath Luke's flannel shirt in an effort to remove it. "I thought since you and the others are heading out tomorrow, that you and I could give each other a parting gift. And if we do that, then we should get _very, very_ comfortable."

"You do have a point," Luke chuckled as Jay removed his vest and eased him down onto the bed...

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _You feed the fire that burned us all  
When you lie  
To feel the pain that spurs you on  
Black inside  
No one plans to take the path that brings you lower  
And here you stand before us all and say it's over  
It's over_  
\- _Alice In Chains_ , " _Your Decision"_

Jay sighed and pried his eyes open. Dammit. Middle of the night and he was suddenly wide awake. It didn't happen often, but when it did, Jay ended up cranky and irritable in the morning because he couldn't get back to sleep. _Well, since I'm awake,_ he thought in slight annoyance, _I might as well get up. Maybe if I went outside for a walk, I'll feel a little better._

He glanced over at his lover, who lay on his side, completely down for the count. Luke looked too peaceful to wake up, so Jay climbed out of bed, wincing slightly. The fact that Luke had driven a truck before joining the Wyatts wasn't the only reason why he had the nickname of Big Rig, and Jay chuckled to himself at the thought.

After throwing on some underwear, some pants, a shirt and his shoes, Jay dashed off a quick note for Luke before grabbing his card key and heading out of the room.

The lobby was quiet, and Jay made his way outside rather quickly. The street he was on was remarkably quiet this time of night; Jay half expected it to be jumping with excitement and activity, especially with it being the middle of travel season. No matter. Jay actually appreciated the peace and quiet. It gave him a chance to be alone with his thoughts.

These days, suicide was the last thing on Jay's mind. It was a selfish act and an unforgivable sin, and whenever Jay thought of how close he'd come to taking his own life, he shuddered. His life was too valuable to literally throw it out a window. Thank God (and Sister Abigail) for bringing the Wyatts into his life when he needed them the most, though he'd been kicking and screaming when he first encountered them.

Jay glanced around and noticed that he'd walked much further than he'd intended. He chuckled and shook his head as he stopped to rest. _How'd I wind up on the banks of the Mississippi?_ he wondered silently, sitting down on a metal bench that looked out over the water. _I need to pay more attention to where I'm going!_

It was so quiet and peaceful. The New Orleans skyline twinkled like gemstones set against black velvet. A cool breeze ruffled through Jay's hair. To Jay's right was the Crescent City Connection Bridge that arched across the water, connecting US Hwy 90 from the central business district to the residential parts of the city. No boats were out on the water, and the only sound Jay could hear was the flowing of the river. _So peaceful,_ Jay thought, crossing his feet and stretching out his wiry frame so as to make himself more comfortable.

He didn't know how long he sat there taking in the scenery, but a nagging voice in his mind told him that he needed to get back soon. Jay yawned, his eyes squeezing into slits, before he climbed off the bench and began his trek back to the hotel.

As Jay headed back the way he came, he was suddenly aware of a roaring sound that reminded him of the surf back in Florida. There was no possible way that the surf was up, perhaps a boat was on it's way down the river? Curiosity got the better of Jay, and he turned around to look.

He suddenly wished that he hadn't.

The sound he heard was the roar of a giant rogue wave. It rumbled and rushed at Jay, a moving wall of white-capped water. Panic slammed through Jay, and every nerve in his body screamed RUN! He turned back and tore down the street, his heart racing, and his pulse pounding as he attempted to flee.

 _Faster...FASTER!_ Jay was running as fast as he'd ever run, but the wall of water continued to pursue him. Suddenly, he got tangled up in his own feet, and he crashed to the pavement in an undignified heap. Frantic, he tried to stumble to his feet, but they wouldn't cooperate.

Gasping for breath, Jay glanced up and felt his heart sink to his stomach. The wave was right on top of him.

The mountain of water crashed over Jay, so cold that it felt like a thousand knives were being driven into his body. The sheer weight and magnitude of the water forced out what little air was left in his lungs. Pain and panic set in as Jay struggled to breathe, to pull some precious air into his body, but all that surrounded him was water. A cold rush slammed through Jay like a skewer and his body began to shut down...

...And Jay sat up in bed, gasping for breath, his heart racing. The nightmare felt so vivid and intense that he could almost feel the cold water on his skin. He wrapped the blankets around his body and willed his heartbeat and pulse to slow down. _Thank God that was only a dream_ , he thought, raking his fingers through his sleep and sex rumpled hair.

By force of habit, Jay glanced over to the other side of the bed. His heart sank when he found it empty. Then he remembered the conversation he and Luke had the night before and he shook his head at his forgetfulness. "You're losing your mind in your old age, Jay," he thought out loud, glancing over to the nightstand. There was a piece of paper with Jay's name on it sitting there, waiting to be read:

 _Jay -_

 _Didn't want to wake you up. We're heading to the Smackdown taping. Bray's sent someone to fetch you to take you home. They should be here around eight. Have a safe trip._

 _Love, Luke._

Jay set the note down and lay back down on the bed. A year ago, home would have been a perfect house in Florida with years worth of memorabilia and his cats. No outside job, no family, no friends to catch up with, no other interests. Just him, his cats, and an excruciating depression that would have killed him had nobody intervened.

Nobody understood his attachment to the Wyatts, and it was likely that nobody ever would. He'd heard the whispers and snide remarks backstage: _Can you believe it? Jay Reso and Luke Harper are an item! What does Jay see in that overgrown freak? Well, maybe it's not outside the realm of possibility. After all, Reso's mental state's been suspect for years. If you have more than two cats, you're a little touched in the head. That's what they say anyway. And the only reason he got a job here is because his best friend got him a tryout._

Jay felt his heart ache slightly as he recalled the last conversation he'd had with Adam, his former best friend and brother from another mother. He was at the Hall of Fame ceremony to induct Lita, another longtime (and now former) friend. After the festivities, Adam and Jay went to a coffee shop near the hotel they were staying at to catch up on old times. It was then that Jay finally laid things on the line with his longtime friend.

While Adam's career zoomed, Jay's had stagnated, and it was that fact that gradually pulled them apart. It was only when the Wyatts had taken him that he finally faced-unwillingly at first-his jealousy and anger and depression. Of course Bray's methods had been unorthodox, but he did more in the course of a few weeks to fix Jay than months or years of therapy ever could.

Adam, of course, didn't understand, and deep down Jay knew that he wouldn't...

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"What the hell are you thinking, Jay? You've sold your house, you re-homed all of your cats—you're giving up twenty years in this business just so you can join a cult?!"_

 _"It's not a cult!" Jay tried to explain, leaning up against the rental car. "It's my home. For the first time in years, I actually have a home, and people who love me. You and Chris, Dreamer, Styles, everyone...they all get to come home to a family, or a business, or friends, or other projects. You know what I came home to when I got off the road? An empty suitcase and my cats. That's what!_

 _"I spent the better part of my two decades in this business giving and giving and giving. I busted my ass for Vince McMahon and everyone else in this industry. I did everything I could to try and prove to everyone who seemed to care that I was worthy of their attention. And I spent that time being everyone's friend, caretaker, rock, compass, counselor, whatever the hell anyone needed me to be, I was. And what did I get in return? NOTHING! I had nothing left to give_ myself, _let alone all of you."_

 _Jay paused, and his voice softened. "The Wyatts, they...they gave me a purpose. They gave me direction. They gave me love. Luke especially. He's got the patience of a saint. And he nursed me back to health and sanity when I needed it the most."_

 _"HARPER?" Adam looked at his longtime friend like he'd just spoken in Arabic. "That overgrown, hairy-faced freak? What'd he do to you? What did he and Bray and Erick do to you?"_

 _"That overgrown, hairy-faced freak is someone I love very, very much!" Jay fired back, angrily. "And if you must know, Bray and Luke and Erick loved me enough to take control and keep me from making the biggest mistake of my life."_

 _"Biggest mistake? The biggest mistake you made was not pressing kidnapping charges against Bray Wyatt and his band of kooks!"_

 _Jay smacked the hood of the rental._ "NO! My biggest mistake was wanting to kill myself!"

 _The words dropped between Jay and Adam like bricks. Two sentences. Nine words. It was enough to change everything._

 _"Kill yourself? That's preposterous, why would you want to go and do a dumb thing like that?!" Adam exclaimed, in shock. "That's got to be a sick joke! You couldn't possibly want to do that! You can't be serious..." Adam's voice trailed off when he saw the somber look on his longtime friend's face. A cold numbness spread through his body. "No...no, don't tell me you were even_ thinking _about that!" Adam whispered, pacing back and forth. "You've always been the stable one, why would you even think of offing yourself?"_

 _Jay shrugged, sarcastically. "I don't know. Maybe the years of being called ugly, irrelevant, worthless, and unimportant finally caught up to me."_

 _Adam gently placed his hands on Jay's shoulders. His voice was soft and full of disbelief. "Jay...my god, you're none of those things-"_

"Tell that to Vince McMahon and upper management and the rest of Vince's Bullying Funsters!" _Jay exclaimed, shrugging away from his best friend's grasp. "I'm not gonna go into details, but long story short, I was planning to jump out of my hotel window in Baltimore. July of last year. Then Jericho invited me to breakfast, and I went. I had a good time, and later I decided to lace my boots up one last time and give the fans one more match. One last happy memory because I wanted the fans to remember me for something good. Afterwards, Bray found me...you can figure out the rest."_

 _Adam shook his head as he paced the length of the rental car. The very idea that Jay, his friend for nearly three decades, the man he loved like a brother, was hurting so much that he'd wanted to die was almost impossible to get his head around. "Jay...God! Jay I didn't know," Adam gasped, his voice cracking with emotion. "Why didn't you say anything? You could have talked to a therapist, or gone to Vince-"_

 _"Vince McMahon never gave a fuck about me!" snarled Jay. "He wouldn't have helped me. He probably would have shoved me out the window himself, and then put out some insincere press release and move on like I never existed! Don't take this the wrong way, Addy, but the only reason why I was treated half decent here was because of you. I owe you so much, Addy, and I'll always appreciate that. But once you retired, everything went downhill." Jay wrapped his arms around himself and stared down at the pavement. His voice was thick with emotion as well. "Nobody-nobody backstage, nobody in management, no agents, no friends,_ nobody! _-was brave enough to stick up for me. I was at the mercy of Vince McMahon,_ and it tore me apart."

 _Adam sat on the hood of the rental next to his longtime friend, completely devastated by the confessions he was hearing. "I'm...I'm so sorry-"_

 _"You don't need to apologize for anything. No sense in apologizing after the fact either, Addy. What's done is done. You and Chris and Dreamer and all of them, you have your own lives now. And I have my own now as well, odd as it may be."_

 _"Life? You call what you're doing now_ life?" _Adam knew deep down that he had to tread delicately over this next topic, and he chose his words carefully. "Jay...Luke and Bray and Erick...there's no easy way to say this, but they're_ criminals. _You have to press charges against them. What they did to you was against the law! They_ kidnapped _you. They_ held you hostage and brainwashed you. _You know that, I know that, everyone around you knows that too, though they don't say anything._ The Wyatts kept you prisoner for three months. _Just because Luke tucked you into bed a few times doesn't mean he that he loves you!"_

 _He continued, unaware of the venomous look Jay had just given him. "Jay, everyone sees the Wyatts for what they really are, and here you are, like some lovesick little puppy falling all over yourself to protect them. It's not love, it's not loyalty, and it's not life, it's Stockholm Syndrome! They brainwashed you! There's no other way to describe it!"_

"It's not Stockholm Syndrome, and they didn't brainwash me! The Wyatts saved my life!" _Jay spat in fury. Why couldn't anyone (Adam especially) understand that what the Wyatts did to him was done out of love? "And Luke took care of me every step of the way, when I was at my lowest and most broken, he helped heal me! He bathed me, he dressed me, he made sure I ate, he held me at night when I cried, which wasn't very often, and he held me, even when I didn't cry. And more importantly, he made sure I knew I was loved. He protected me, he loved me, and he_ still _loves me!" Jay paused, and his expression grew wistful. "And_ I love him. _For the first time in years, I'm actually_ happy. _I have a purpose, I have a life, I have people in my life who genuinely care about me. I thought you'd be happy for me, or at least try to support me and understand. Out of everyone in my life, Addy, I thought_ you'd _be the one."_

 _Adam shook his head, his voice honest. "I can't support this, Jay. I'm sorry. The man sitting next to me is Jay, but it's not Jay. The man sitting with me looks like you, he talks like you, all his mannerisms are the same, but he's not you. We've been friends, almost brothers, for the past three decades, I thought I knew everything about you, but now...you've changed so much, inside and out, that I...I don't know you anymore."_

 _"Maybe you never knew me at all," Jay said, simply. He paused, his heart aching. What he was about to say would be the hardest words he'd ever have to utter. "Addy, you're my brother from another mother, and you'll always have a place in my heart. But if you aren't willing to support me, or at least try... then I'm afraid we can't be friends anymore."_

 _Adam felt like he'd just been hit with a board. His voice got stuck in his throat, and he was barely able to choke out, "Jay..."_

 _Before Adam could say anything more, Jay reached up and cupped his face. "I love you, Addy," he said, kissing Adam gently on the cheek, and then on the lips. Jay's voice was husky and Adam could hear the tears in his voice. "That'll never change. But it's over." He paused, and then he ran the tips of his fingers gently across the cheek of his best friend. "I want you to turn around and count to one hundred."_

 _"Count to one hundred? Why?"_

 _One sentence. Nine words. Enough to end everything:_

 _"I don't want you to see me walk away..."_

~~~ANGEL~~~

A lump rose in Jay's throat as he replayed his and Adam's last conversation. In reality, he'd given up on Adam, as well as Chris, Dreamer, AJ, and everyone else long ago. They really _hadn't_ cared about him. He'd been such a rock for all of them that they'd taken him for granted, and that spawned his depression and resentment. It wasn't that he no longer cared about them. It was that they no longer cared about _him_. That revelation made it easier for Jay to give up on them.

It didn't make giving up on his old friends hurt any less, but the pain faded more and more with each passing day.

Jay climbed out of bed and put on his pants, which had been dropped on the floor last night while he and Luke were... _getting comfortable._ No sense dwelling on what was and what used to be. It was time to wash up, get dressed and packed.

Perhaps after washing up, he could do some studying while he waited for his ride to arrive. Bray's last lesson about the Seven Diamonds Plus One had been very enlightening, and it left Jay wanting to learn more about it. After all, it was the subject that Bray had wanted him to teach. He fumbled through his suitcase and carry-on in search of the book he'd packed with him. _Final Quest, Final Quest, I know I packed it-_

His search was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Jay glanced up, the search for his book abandoned. "Hold on a second," he called out, searching for the t-shirt he'd worn the day before. He found it under the bed and slipped it on before he threw open the door. "Uh...hi?"

Standing in the doorway was a pair of identical twin girls. One of them wore a red t-shirt and jeans, and the other wore a black t-shirt and jeans. They were rather tall and slender like ballerinas, and both of them were pretty. Their hair was long and blonde, so blonde it was almost white, and their eyes were almond shaped and a soft blue, like a pair of faded jeans. Briefly, Jay wondered if the two of them were ring rats, and was about to turn them down politely (he didn't swing that way), until one of them-the one in the black t-shirt—spoke:

"Hi, you must be Jay. Bray told us to come and fetch you." Her voice sounded the same way a candied pear might taste. You had to be born hock-deep in hominy grits to get a drawl like hers.

"Bray?" Jay shook his head and stared bewildered at the twins. The fog of sleep was beginning to lift from Jay's mind, and he remembered the note that Luke had left on the nightstand. "Oh, I remember now."

"Yeah. Bina (she pronounced it Beena) and I, we live on the compound with Momma and our brothers. The boys have the Smackdown taping tonight, and since you didn't have anything scheduled, Bray asked Bina and me to come fetch you and take you home." The talkative twin held out a hand in greeting. Jay didn't shake the slim hand, but the girl didn't seem to pay attention. "I'm Violet Beth Pollard, but everyone calls me Violet."

"Hi. Who's Bina?"

"My sister," Violet explained, glancing over to her twin, who was looking down at the floor. Gently, she said, "Bina, it's okay. Jay won't hurt you. And Bray said we have to take him home." Bina shook her head. Violet continued. "It's okay. Bina's kinda shy of talking to people she doesn't know very well."

Bina lifted her head cautiously and studied Jay like he was a cloud formation she'd never seen before.

Jay let a kindly smile spread slowly across his face. "Hi. I'm Luke's..." He was about to say _lover,_ but he stopped himself. Something about the shy blonde girl told Jay that she was _different_. Not retarded or slow or anything like that. But she wouldn't understand the context of _lover_ in this instance. "I'm Luke's special friend."

A full half-minute of uncomfortable silence passed between the three of them. Finally, Bina let out a scream, and her face broke into a megawatt smile. Before anyone else could speak, the shy blonde threw herself at Jay and wrapped her arms around him, practically tackling him as she barged through the doorway and into the room. Violet, with a beleaguered look on her pretty face, brought up the rear, closing the door behind her.

"Look, Violet! It's an angel!" Bina squeaked, the joy rolling off her in waves. She gazed up at the unofficially retired wrestler in wonder. "You're Luke's Angel! Luke talks about you all the time. He calls you his Angel Boy. Oh, by the way, I'm Verbina Jane Pollard, and I'm an Aspie, but everyone calls me Bina, and so should you."

"Uh...okay." Jay wasn't sure how to handle such an introduction. "Aspie?"

"Bina has Asperger's Syndrome," Violet explained. "It's a form of autism. She has some developmental issues and she has trouble socializing. There's a lot of other things that go with it, but those are the two main ones." A pause, and then Violet cautiously approached her sister. "Bina, you gotta let go of Jay. He has to wash up and get dressed and packed. I'll turn on the TV, and you can watch the Weather Channel."

With a whine, Bina reluctantly let go of Luke's special friend and let her sister guide her to one of the beds in the room. "But he looks fine. Just has to put on some shoes. And I don't like Weather Channel. They don't have weather on anymore. Find something else."

Violet got her sister situated in front of the TV. After thumbing through the program guide, they both settled on CNN. Jay watched the girls with amusement and then stepped into the bathroom to wash up. "Make yourselves comfortable," he told the girls before he stepped into the shower and turned the water on. "I shouldn't be too long."

And he was right about that. Jay was out of the shower, dressed, and packed in less than half an hour (he traveled light these days, and he wasn't the type to primp every five minutes), and he and the twins were out of the hotel fifteen minutes after that.

Violet's car was a big, blue twenty year old Buick in need of a wash. After stowing Jay's suitcase and carry-on in the trunk, Violet climbed behind the wheel, and Jay slid into the passenger's seat. Bina curled up in the backseat like a little girl preparing to take a nap, and soon they were on the road.

"Omigod, are the rumors true? Are you really going to retire?" Violet asked, as she wove the big car through mid-morning traffic. "I know you've been getting hurt and all, but I thought you'd have at least one more title run in you before you decided to call it quits."

"I've had a chance to rethink some priorities," Jay said, simply. "I mean, I've been in the business the better part of two decades, so what's left for me? Besides, I need to step away for a while."

"I can only imagine what your retirement speech will sound like. I'll be bawling like a baby when I hear it I'm sure. It's sad that you're leaving, but I hope your friends will give you a nice send-off."

"I can only hope. Vince would rather show me the door without any fanfare and then put out a press release two days later wishing me success in my future endeavors. The rumors about Vince McMahon never liking me...unfortunately, they aren't rumors."

"What?" Bina looked incredulous. "But you're an angel. Why would someone hate an angel?"

"Because there are some people who are mean to others just for the sake of being mean."

"Momma says those are the people who need angels the most," Bina said, matter-of-fact. She glanced out the window and tensed up. Violet had just swung the car into a Walmart parking lot. "Why are we stopping?"

"We haven't eaten yet. There's a McDonald's here and we can pick up breakfast. And we should get some things to snack on for the trip. It's a four-hour drive home."

"I can't go in there!" Bina shook her head, averting her eyes. "Violet, it's loud, I don't wanna go in there!"

"Bina, we have to eat," Violet admonished her twin, gently, as she parked the car. "We won't be in there too long, and you can't stay in the car by yourself. It's already getting hot outside."

 _"Noooo,"_ Bina moaned, shaking her head. "I don't wanna go. Don't make me go! Don't wanna! _Don't wanna! Don't wanna!"_

By this time, Bina was trembling violently and clutching her head as she rocked back and forth. She was like a three year-old throwing a tantrum, but Jay knew a little bit about autism. Many people with the condition had issues with sensory overload. A simple trip to the store would be traumatic; the simple hustle and bustle of a store and its shoppers would sound and feel like a stampede of elephants, leaving them so overwhelmed, they'd shut down to protect themselves.

While watching Bina tremble on the verge of a meltdown, Jay suddenly had an idea. "Violet, pop open the trunk," he instructed her, as he climbed out of the car. "I think I have something that'll help your sister."

Jay zipped open the front pocket of his carry-on bag and fumbled through it until he pulled out a hard plastic case. He opened up the case, revealing a pair of earplugs, which he handed off to Violet, who had climbed into the backseat to comfort her sister. "Stick these in Bina's ears," he instructed her before he closed the trunk lid.

It took Violet almost ten minutes to persuade Bina to take her hands off her ears and another five to convince her to put the earplugs in. Jay marveled at how patient Violet was with her sister; he wasn't sure how he'd be able to handle the situation. "I've been her shadow for as long as I can remember," Violet explained, answering the unspoken question as she climbed out of the car. "Some people are born with infinite patience, and some aren't. I'm one of the lucky ones."

Jay nodded in agreement. He could appreciate infinite patience. Luke was blessed with it as well.

The effect of the earplugs on Bina was quite swift. She gazed around in wonder, her eyes impossibly wide; any wider, and she'd look like an anime drawing. "My ears, they don't hurt anymore."

"Why did I not think to pack earplugs?" Violet admonished herself, shaking her head. She paused, and then ventured cautiously, "Bina, are you ready to get out of the car now?"

Bina glanced around nervously. "I'm...I'm not sure I can," she stammered, and for a moment, she, Violet, and Jay stood or sat around in slightly awkward silence, unsure of what to do next.

It was Jay that came up with another solution. He hunkered down in front of Violet's nervous twin and smiled gently at her. "Well..." he suggested. "How about all of us going in together. I'll even hold your hand, okay?"

Bina pondered the suggestion, and then she let a smile spread across her face. Momma always told her that angels were good, and they protected and helped people. And since Jay was Luke's Angel, well who was she to argue? Besides, she liked the idea of an real, live angel holding her hand. "Okay," she chirped like a little girl, holding out her hand so that Jay could help her out of the car. "Violet, can I have an Egg McMuffin? And I want peanut butter cheese crackers for the trip home..."

The three of them finally made their way into the store. Bina practically skipped along as she held Jay's hand to the point where it almost hurt. Jay didn't mind; in fact, he almost welcomed the discomfort. It helped him get his mind off of the fact that he was entering a wide-open space.

It was almost impossible to think that one of the greatest superstars in WWE history was agoraphobic. But then again, being chained to the floor in the middle of a cold, dark garage without any sort of shelter for days on end can do that to a man.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Jay's experience with the Wyatt's was NOT hearts and flowers. It was brutal, it was visceral, and it forced Jay to face some things that he didn't want to face. In spite of the good it did him, it still left him DAMAGED. Agoraphobia isn't the only thing he'll have to deal with. Can anyone say PTSD?**

 **The twins are Violet and Verbina Pollard. If the names sound familiar, they're from Dean Koontz's book** ** _The Bad Place._** **They're the twins by name and description only, and they AREN'T creepy.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	2. Break Me: Chapter Two

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: To those who are checking out this story, a big THANKS. I'd love to get some more readership for this, so if you can spread the word, that would be greatly appreciated!:)**

 ** _Break Me: Chapter Two_**

" _I was amazed as people must be who are seized and kidnapped, and who realize that in the strange world of their captors they have a value absolutely unconnected with anything they know about themselves."  
-Alice Munro, Lives Of Girls And Women_

For the first time in many years, Jay was actually feeling emotions other than unease or despair at the prospect of going home.

Before his experience with the Wyatts, he'd gotten to the point where he dreaded it. While his friends-Edge, Jericho, Styles, and others-had friends, or family, or business ventures or other interests to fall back on, all Jay had was an empty suitcase and his beloved cats. He'd spend his days off holed up in his house, drinking until he passed out and miring in self-pity. He was irrelevant. Ugly. Unlovable. Lonely. Worthless.

It wasn't that Jay had become selfish over the years-he'd spent so many years being the sensible, responsible one looking out for everyone else, that it had become second nature to him-it was that the responsibility of being an unwavering compass and resilient caretaker for his co-workers had chipped away at him. He'd spent so much time and effort giving to others, that there had been nothing left for himself. His desire to be respected, loved, and successful had left him disillusioned, bitter and, by the time the Wyatts had taken him, suicidal. Only when he'd been broken down to his lowest and darkest did he finally allow himself to be taken care of and be healed inside and out.

Now, as he reclined in the front seat of the car watching the scenery whiz by, he thought about what he was coming home to and what and who he was now. Home was a white, weathered two-story farmhouse house in the Louisiana backwoods, and a collection of shacks hidden away in the woods that were used to conduct lessons and to preach sermons and to administer discipline when needed. It wasn't a perfect house in Florida with with countless memories and his cats. He'd sold his home, placed his memorabilia in secure storage and re-homed his beloved fur babies (They wouldn't last a day where he was living now, so he knew he'd done right by them). His family was a collection of religious oddballs whose main mantra was to obey. His main interest now that he was unofficially retired was to spread Bray's message to those willing (or unwilling) to hear it.

And he had someone who loved him, even when he was at his most unlovable. Luke had nursed Jay back to a semblance of health and sanity. The old Jay came back. Actually, it was more like a new Jay, one who'd been broken into pieces and reassembled into something different. Someone different. Someone important. Someone who was loved. Loveable. Valuable. Beautiful.

But the journey to that point had been, for lack of a better word, hellish:

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _Jay groaned and awoke to a volcano of pain erupting in his head. His eyelids were gritty, and he had a bad taste in his mouth. He felt something hard against his cheek, and he could smell dust, mustiness, smoke, sweat, blood, and other things he didn't dare try to identify. He could hear rain falling, and thunder rolling in the distance._

What the hell? _he wondered, prying his eyes open. The last thing he remembered was walking down the hall on the way outside to his rental. After that, it was a blur._ What happened? Did I get mugged or something?

 _The first thing Jay noticed when he fully opened his eyes was the complete, suffocating dark that surrounded him. The phrase,_ Can't see your hand in front of your face, _was never more true than it was at that moment. Briefly, Jay wondered if he still had his eyes closed, but as his vision began to adjust, he could make out shapes and objects. He was lying on the floor in some kind of room. Storage room? Closet? Bedroom? He couldn't tell._

 _Unconsciously, Jay pressed his hands against the wooden floor in an effort to climb to his feet. As he did so, he became acutely aware of a clinking sound. He glanced down in the direction of the noise, and his eyes widened in shock._

 _Thick steel cuffs surrounded his wrists, and a long, heavy chain connected the two cuffs together. The same was true for his ankles._

 _Jay's heart began to race, and a jolt of adrenaline surged through his body in preparation for a flight-or-fight response. Frantically, he twisted his hands this way and that, and tried to move them back and forth in an effort to slip the cuffs off his hands. But his hands were too big, and the cuffs were too snug. They weren't going anywhere, and neither was Jay._

 _"HELP!" Jay shouted._ "Somebody help me! Can anybody hear me?!"

 _Faintly, he heard a door creak open, and then a collection of loud footsteps tramp down a hallway. The door swung shut, and the footsteps grew closer._

 _"I think we've let our newest convert sleep long enough. It's time for us to welcome him to our family."_

 _The voice, like strychnine and honey, made Jay's racing heart nearly stop._

Bray.

 _The memories returned in one big rush;_

 _He'd rolled out of the ring in Baltimore, following a disappointing loss to Kane. He'd hoped for better, but at this point in the game, he no longer cared. The sooner he could get backstage and wash up, the sooner he could get back to his hotel room and make his final arrangements._

 _Halfway down the aisle, Jay heard a now familiar laughter and glanced up at the Titantron. It was the last video announcing the arrival of the Wyatt family to the WWE. The lights suddenly went out, and a chill slithered down his back like a snake as he followed the referee to the safety of backstage._

 _The video ended with Bray Wyatt announcing, "We're here." The lights were still out in the arena, and a lantern was lit as Bray marched towards the ring, with his two "sons" accompanying him. The Eater of Worlds took a seat in a rocking chair near the entrance ramp and watched as Erick and Luke stormed the ring and attacked Kane. The family continued their assault on the Big Red Machine outside the ring, which ended when Erick and Luke set Kane up against a set of steel steps and slammed another set down on his head._

 _While the assault took place, Jay was taking a shower and mentally composing his suicide note (he wanted to leave one so that nobody would ask any questions later on). He stepped out, dried off and put on his street clothes, and said nothing to his co-workers as he slunk out of the arena._

 _He had no idea who was laying in wait for him as he made his way to his rental car._

 _Strong arms suddenly wrapped around Jay, pulling him backwards against a massive, muscular body that he would later identify as Erick's. His arms and legs flailed wildly in a vain attempt to escape, but the massive man in the prison jumpsuit and sheep's mask holding his arms and legs was much stronger than he, and Jay was effortlessly lifted up off the floor. Bray was pressing something soft to his face, and Jay became aware of a sweet smell filling his nostrils and a feeling of drowsiness filling his body. He desperately tried not to breathe in the fumes of whatever was on the cloth that was practically shoved into his mouth._

 _Jay's vision began to gray out as whatever was on the cloth chipped away at his consciousness. Before he completely passed out, he glanced up at the third man (he'd later learn his name was Luke) who was now standing across from him. He was younger than Jay, taller, and built like a barroom bouncer, with unruly black hair that spilled past his shoulders and a thick black beard that covered much of his face. He wore a white wife beater and a sleeveless red flannel shirt. His dark eyes were like polished stones, and...did Jay see an expression of_ compassion _on what he could see of his face?_

And did he just say I'm sorry? _Jay wondered before darkness claimed him..._

 _A doorknob turned, the click shaking Jay out of his memories. Blinking, he glanced up at the door as it swung open. The light from a lantern illuminated the three figures looming above him. Only one sentence was uttered, and that was by Bray;_

 _"Welcome to my home, Jay."_

~~~ANGEL~~~

Jay had heard about people who could carry a whole conversation by themselves, but he'd never met one, or seen one in action. Until now. In that car ride in the old Buick with the Pollard twins, Violet at the wheel, and Bina in the backseat curled up with a pack of peanut butter cheese crackers and the Old Farmer's Almanac (Violet had to pick that up for her at Walmart so that she wouldn't get anxious), he just had to sit back and marvel at Violet, as she let her motormouth run at full RPM:

"Bina and I have only been with the Wyatts for a little over six months, and already so much has happened! When we and Momma and my brothers Jimmy and Frank met Bray and Luke and Erick, we were gonna get foreclosed on our house. See Daddy died two years ago—he choked on a piece of chicken fried steak at a diner where nobody knew the Heimlich Maneuver—and he didn't leave enough money in his life insurance. Just enough to cover his funeral costs, and that's it. Well, Momma got a second job waitressing tables, and I had to put my college plans on hold—I wanna go to nursing school and work with premature babies—so I could keep working. Jimmy and Frankie are still in high school, so they were giving whatever they could from their part-time work. But it wasn't enough to cover everything. Plus, Bina's an Aspie, and we needed the money for her care, and that's one thing we _don't_ skimp on—and we just got further and further behind with our bills.

"So long story short—the house is about to get foreclosed on, and Bina and I are the L & N Cafe, she's reading her weather books and talking to me about Stratocumulus clouds and Nimbostratus clouds and, and I'm playing with my cup of coffee, not really drinking it, you know? And in walks this man—he's a _mountain man_ of a guy!—long hair and bushy beard. He's wearing this black shirt and this crazy Hawaiian print vest and a Panama hat on his head. _And his eyes!_ I never seen eyes so blue in my life, not even my and Bina's eyes, or Jimmy's eyes, or even _Momma's eyes!_ He sees Bina and me at our booth and he smiles at us.

"My first instinct was to take Bina and split, get the hell out of there, you know? He looked like one of those creeps who wanna jam their slimy hands down my pants and cop a feel on my hoo-hah or touch my boobs. I've let boys do that to me, ones I like, I even slept with a couple. I've been off the straight and narrow more than a couple of times—all part of growing up—but this guy? Eh...no. He just looked like trouble deluxe walking into the place.

"So, I'm about to tell Bina to pack her stuff up and head for the door, but then she sees this guy, and her face just LIGHTS UP. Just lights up like a Christmas tree. Now, Bina, in spite of all of her issues, is the surest judge of character that I know of. But I'm second-guessing her at this point, and I says to her, _Now Bina, don't get any notions in your head about that guy-he looks like he's bad news. Let's go home._ But that's when she says back to me, _No, Violet! We gotta stay. He's an angel. I seen angels before, that's an angel!_

"Well, this mountain man sits down, he introduces himself, says his name's Bray Wyatt, and we start talking. Says that the Lord brought him to the L & N—he hadn't been in town proper in nearly a year, save for passing through on his way to flights in and out of Lafayette for WWE stuff—because he saw us in a vision and knew we needed help. Before I know it, the conversation turns to our house, and Daddy dying, and us about to get evicted. And if you can believe it—he offered us all a place to stay at the compound. He and Luke and Erick—they travel with the WWE like you used to, and they let the place fall into serious disrepair over the years. They needed some able bodies to clean up and fix the place and take care of things while they're travelling and stuff. It sounds too good to be true, but I didn't wanna look a gift horse in the mouth, so I said I'd talk to Momma first.

"Momma's always been a real spiritual woman. She knows the Bible forwards, backwards, sideways, upside down and inside out. She's always felt the Lord's presence in her life, and after Daddy died, she got even closer to Him. When Bina was diagnosed as an Aspie, she said it was a gift from God, because He knew that taking care of her would bless us all with more love and patience and gratitude. She said the waitressing job was sent by the Lord so that she could keep us afloat until His real plan was revealed. She prayed every night, long and hard, for the Lord to work his will, and when I came home to tell her all about Bray's offer, she burst into tears. She'd been praying for His will to be done, and when Bray showed up...well, you know the rest.

"So we all pitch in and hold down the fort. We have our own place on the compound. It's an old double-wide mobile home, but it's cozy and it's sturdy, and it has everything we need. Bray doesn't charge us rent because we take care of stuff—cleaning house, taking care of animals, working outside and whatnot—while he and his "sons" are away at work. Momma still works in town, but the money that she gets isn't for a house payment anymore. She has enough to take care of Bina's needs, as well as groceries, and all that. And for me, I'm going back to school in the fall. I qualified for a Pell Grant and work-study over in the community college over in Crowley. Which is the town we're closest to."

"Congratulations." Jay's smile was genuine. "I guess Bray was in the right place at the right time for you."

"He was," Violet beamed, her eyes still on the road as she swung the Buick into the outer lane of the highway to pass an older-model SUV. "It's almost like our lives were jump-started. I get to go back to school, Momma doesn't have to work so hard anymore, we have a new home...I don't know, perhaps it's like we were all reborn the moment Bray walked into that diner. Which kinda brings me to a question for you, Jay. Have you been born again?"

Jay thought back to the three months he'd spent with the Wyatt's. He'd been kidnapped, held against his will, chained up, drugged, and indoctrinated...or so it appeared. What had seemed like kidnapping just for the fun of it, or to expand the family, had in actuality been tough love taken to its most extreme.

Looking back, Jay realized that the months in captivity had been exactly what he'd needed to save him from himself. In his darkest hour, at his lowest and least, he realized that someone still loved him, and cared enough about him to put him in chains and prevent him from making the most egregious, most selfish decision of his life. And that moment of clarity had resulted in a powerful transformation.

Jay had no doubt in his mind whatsoever that he not been taken from that arena in Baltimore last summer, he would have taken his own life at the first opportunity. The Wyatts—Luke Harper, especially—had given him his life back.

"In a matter of speaking," he said honestly, "...yes."

~~~ANGEL~~~

The miles flew by, and soon, Jay closed his eyes and dozed off, lulled by the movement of the car and the classic rock music that played softly on the radio. He and the twins fell into a comfortable silence: While Jay napped, Violet nodded her head in time with the music, and Bina thumbed through her new almanac before she set it aside and dozed off herself.

Eventually, the car slowed down, gradually easing Jay out of a dream where he was swimming in a lake and trying to find the shore so that he could get out. He yawned and sat up in his seat. "What time is it?"

"It's almost one-thirty," Violet answered, as she swung the big car onto a side road. "About five miles outside of Crowley. Another few minutes, and we'll be home." She glanced over at the backseat, where her sister was curled up fast asleep. "Bina can sleep through a hurricane. I'll let her sleep until we get home. She was kinda wound up last night, didn't get to bed until late."

Jay nodded. "You have any plans for later?"

"Well, I have to pick up Momma from work after I drop Bina off at the house so she can watch Jerry Springer. Jimmy and Frank don't come home til' around four. I should be asking if you have any plans. Momma wants to invite you over to our place for supper. She's gonna roast a chicken. If you're interested, that is."

"Jerry Springer? Your sister watches Jerry Springer?"

"She's watched it for as long as I can remember. She says that all the guests on that show need angels."

"No doubt," laughed Jay, before he paused. "About your dinner invite? I can't turn down a free meal. Besides, it'll give me a chance to meet all of you."

"It'll be fun." Violet paused, and then slowed the car down. "Wait'll you see what we've all done to the compound. You almost won't recognize the place," she smiled, as she pulled the old Buick onto a gravel road. And there it was, the Wyatt compound: the overgrown trees, the NO TRESSPASSING sign, the white, two-story slate-roofed, weathered-looking house with the porch on each floor.

Jay had to do a double take as he gazed out the window. "This can't be right. Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"It is, and we are," Violet smirked, as she threw the car in Park. The last time Jay was here, the grounds were overgrown and unkempt, bushes were untrimmed and flower beds were overrun with weeds. The house itself had looked weathered and dilapidated, the porches overrun with junk and trash. The entryway was dimly lit and the curtains were drawn everywhere, so the place was always stuffy and dark.

Now, however, it looked so different that Jay briefly thought he and the twins were at the wrong house. The overgrown lawn looked like someone had recently mowed it. Sure, the trees were still on the overgrown side, but the bushes were trimmed, the gutters were cleaned out, and the trash had been cleared off the porches. The flower beds looked like they'd been recently weeded out. The curtains were pulled back from the windows, and the windows themselves looked clean and sparkling. The house still looked weathered and old, but with the work already done, it didn't look so run down.

Violet, who popped open the trunk, was first out of the car, followed by Bina, who practically threw herself out onto the driveway and darted off. "Sorry, Jerry Springer's gonna be on in ten minutes, and I gotta watch it!" she shouted before disappearing into a cozy looking double-wide trailer.

Jay climbed slowly out of the car and took his luggage out of the trunk, awe-struck by the transformation of the Wyatt compound. Under his breath, he sung, _"Down, brothers, let's go down. Down by the river to pray..."_

"You have a pretty decent singing voice," Violet remarked, closing the trunk and following Jay.

Jay blushed. "I didn't realize I was singing," he said, sheepishly, before he hesitated at the front door of the weathered house. "Uhmmm...is there a housekey someplace?"

Violet snorted in laughter. "Seriously? This place is out in the boonies, you think we lock our doors around here?" she asked, as she stepped in front of Jay, twisted the doorknob and opened the door easily. "You're thinking like a city slicker. _Entrez vous, s'il vous plaît..._ "

The first thing that struck Jay when he entered the house was that the interior was _clean._ Not immaculate by any stretch, but far more inhabitable than it had been when he first stayed here. Sure, the foyer had an old and faded looking carpet near the front door, but it looked vacuumed. The cobwebs had been removed from the corners and the light fixtures. The windows were open, and the downstairs hallway was filled with natural light. The stairs leading to the upper floor were covered with a gray carpet runner that looked like it would do little to soften one's footsteps, but that too looked clean.

Obviously, the windows had been opened; the air in the house didn't smell musty and stale, and Jay could feel a nice breeze.

"So?" Violet leaned up against the open front door, a little grin on her face. "What do you think?"

Jay gazed around in wide-eyed astonishment. This was light years away from the house he remembered. "I'm completely blown away. It looks good."

"Doesn't it? The upstairs doesn't look too shabby, either. Bray was pleased as punch when he first saw what we all did. Took nearly two weeks, but it was all worth it. But with all the work we did, there's one room that none of us touched. It's the room at the end of the hall upstairs, to your right. Bray says that room's special, and not to go into it." Violet paused, and then her expression grew serious. "It's locked, so don't get any ideas."

"If that door's locked, then there's gotta be a good reason, right?"

Violet shrugged. "I guess so. You think you'll be okay for an hour or two?"

"I'm more worried about your sister."

"Bina can take care of herself. Springer's on for two hours anyhow. She won't go anywhere until the show's over. By that time, Momma and I will be home and starting dinner. Come over around six. You know where, right?"

"That double-wide your sister ran to?"

"That's the one," Violet said, before heading outside and back to the car. Jay followed her out. "I'll see you later."

"Drive carefully. And, Violet?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the ride."

"Anytime. And welcome back."

Violet started up the big old car and drove away. Jay stood in the driveway and waved until the vehicle was just a little speck in the distance before returning to the house that had once been his prison.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Just wanted to provide you with the series of Wyatt one-shots by theytalktome, which will provide you with more backstory:**

 **Dream Of Waking  
Everything He Says Is True  
In The Beginning  
Live In Fear  
The Reflecting God  
The High End Of Low  
Tourniquet  
In The Sky With Demons**

 **To reiterate (I can't do this enough) I got permission to use this series as the backstory and inspiration for my work!**

 **AND REMEMBER...REVIEWS = LOVE**


	3. Break Me: Chapter Three

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Just want to explain a few things. This story is slight AU. The Wyatts still live on their compound in Louisiana, not Florida. I picked Crowley as the town they're closest to because it's small but still pretty much full service. Jay was not at Summerslam 2013 due to his captivity with the Wyatts.**

 ** _Break Me: Chapter Three_**

 _This one had it coming  
This one found a vein  
This one was an accident, but never gave me pain  
This one was my fathers and this one you can't see  
This one had me scared to death,  
But I guess I should be glad I'm not dead!_  
\- _Stone Sour,_ " _Made Of Scars"_

Quiet as a cat, with his luggage trailing behind him, Jay ventured cautiously down the narrow downstairs hallway. Now that Violet was gone and Bina was occupied with Jerry Springer and the angels, he was alone with his thoughts and unwanted memories. Perhaps coming home was going to be more difficult than he wanted to admit.

To Jay's right was the door to a very familiar room. Jay felt the hackles on his neck begin to rise, and he tasted copper in his mouth as he drew closer. This was the room he'd spent countless hours in when he first arrived here. It had been a hot, dimly-lit room filled with so many boxes and papers and so much other assorted junk that he could barely move around. The door was always locked, and Jay had spent hours pounding on it and screaming to be let out until his voice became hoarse and his throat and fists became sore and raw. When the lights were turned off, the room was plunged into complete darkness that forced Jay to curl up on the floor in a ball. And the words that Bray had spoken to him in that low, toneless voice— _obey, obey, obey, obey—_ still echoed in Jay's head. It was a room he wanted to stay as far away from as possible—and yet he had to see it again.

Heart racing, Jay tried the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. Slowly, he pushed open the door and stepped inside, completely astonished by what he saw.

The room had been transformed into a small study. The junk had been completely cleared away, leaving a bookcase that was filled with books. Shakespeare. Lord Byron. Agatha Christie. Charles Dickens. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Austen. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Emily Dickinson. Louisa May Alcott. Many of them were first editions, and in remarkably good condition, and they were mixed in with religious books. The Bible. The Book Of Mormon. The Torah. _Final Quest_ by Rick Joyner. _Embraced by the Light_ by Betty Eadie. _Mere Christianity_ by C.S. Lewis. Just to name a few.

There was a modest sized mahogany desk and matching chair pushed up against the now-clean—and currently open—window. A lamp on the desk provided much needed light. A rocking chair and a table with a lamp on it was situated across from the desk, creating a cozy nook in which to curl up and read.

Jay would have loved to stay and peruse the books for a while, but he needed to unpack and get settled in. Besides, he couldn't quite sit in this room to read and relax. Not when he knew what the true purpose of this room had been before its transformation:

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"Don't touch me." Jay's voice was a whisper._

 _"It's okay. I won't hurt you. You'll be safe. Thought you might want something to eat."_

 _Jay glanced up at Luke as he knelt down and set something down on the floor in front of him. A paper plate. He looked blankly at what was on the plate. Nothing fancy; a sandwich, a bag of potato chips, and a bottle of water._

 _"You'll be alright," Luke tried to reassure Jay, reaching out to embrace him._

 _Mistake._

 _Jay squeaked and crawled away from the eager touch, the chains jangling slightly as he backed himself into a corner. "Get away from me," he warbled, hiding his face with his chained-up hands._

 _"I'm sorry," Luke sighed, realizing that he'd overstepped his bounds. "I know you're scared, but I promise I won't let Bray hurt you."_

 _"Luke," Jay pleaded, softly. "You have to let me go. Tell Bray to let me go. I promise I won't get you guys in trouble. I just wanna go home."_

 _"Bray says you're already home."_

 _"Bray's crazy!" Jay gasped. "This isn't my home! I live in Tampa! I have to get home!" he insisted. "You have to let me go!"_

 _"I can't do that."_

 _"Why not? Why are you doing this?"_

 _If it was to add to the family, for the fun of it, or simply because they could, Jay wouldn't have been so freaked out. But it was what Jay heard next that shook him to his core: "Because I love you."_

 _Jay snorted. "Love me? You love me? That's a laugh. You wouldn't know what love was if it fell on you." He stared down coldly at the chains securing him before he fixed Bray's First Son with a look that could freeze a volcano. "You wanna love me? Well, here I am. And from the looks of things, I'm not going anywhere. There's only one reason why you'd put me in chains, it's so I can't fight back while you rape me, correct?"_

 _Luke said nothing as he climbed to his feet; unknown to Jay, Bray had warned Luke that Jay would lash out, so he was prepared._

 _Jay, on the other hand, wasn't, and it only made him angrier. "You wanna rape me? I'm right here!" he snarled, raising his voice._ "Come on! Do it, Luke! Rape me! Just do it and get it over with!"

 _"No," Luke said simply, folding his massive arms across his chest._

"Why NOT?"

 _"Because I don't wanna do anything to you that you don't want."_

 _Hot-as-lava outrage suddenly boiled up inside of Jay, and he screamed. "YOU FREAK! YOU BASTARD!" he snarled. He picked up the item closest to him—the bottle of water—and hurled it at the head of Bray's First Son. Luke was surprisingly quick, and he stepped easily out of the way. The bottle bounced off the door and landed on the floor, rolling to a stop under a table. Jay glared at Luke, daring him to strike, or yell, or harm him; if looks could kill, Luke would have been six feet under._

 _"GET OUT!" Jay spat. "GET OUT!"_

 _Luke did nothing that Jay had expected him to do. Instead, he shrugged, and then picked up the water bottle and set it down in front of the captured blonde._

 _"Eat," he said softly, before he turned and walked out, closing the door gently and locking it behind him._

~~~ANGEL~~~

Jay closed the door softly as he walked out of the study. There were too many memories in this room that Jay didn't want to relive. No matter how much the room had been transformed, the trauma it invoked would always be imprinted deep in Jay's psyche.

 _Like putting lipstick on a pig,_ he thought bitterly as he picked up his luggage. _Doesn't matter what you do or how you dress it up, it's still a pig._

The next place Jay decided to visit was the bedroom that he'd been forced to share with Luke. He didn't feel as apprehensive checking out the room that he'd slept in (against his will at first, but then he slept there because he wanted to) as he'd been checking out the study. Jay could vividly recall the bad times he'd spent in that room, but those memories were cancelled out by the good ones, and by the time he'd left the compound to settle his affairs in Florida, the good far outweighed the bad. And eventually, the chains that had bound Jay's wrists and ankles were replaced by much stronger ones that bound his mind and his heart.

Jay took his time climbing the stairs, noticing that the cobwebs were gone from the stair railings. As he ventured cautiously down the hall, he appreciated the fact that the hallway was no longer dark and stifling. He could vividly recall each detail of the bedroom; the queen sized antique-looking bed with the stale unwashed sheets; the nightstand and dresser, which were painted black to match the bed's headboard, the dirty windows that were covered with blackout curtains, the door that opened up directly to the upstairs porch that was also covered, the red desk that was covered with books, and its matching chair.

 _Boy, Luke sure had his work cut out for him,_ Jay thought, as he nudged open the door. _I was quite the handful at first, but he never abandoned me._

Once again, Jay was stunned by what he saw. The blackout curtains were removed and replaced by red curtains and window blinds. The afternoon sunlight revealed a room that was _completely clean._ The bed was neatly made with black and white bedsheets and a red cover. The desk and its chair, the nightstand, the headboard, and the dresser had been dusted. The windows and mirrors were clean as well. An empty laundry basket sat on the floor, at the foot of the bed. And the smell in the room wasn't from unwashed linens or dirty clothes. _Is that peppermint?_ Jay wondered, his nostrils tingling at the scent.

He sat on the bed, bouncing up and down on it a few times to ensure that it was still sturdy. It was, and Jay swung his legs over so that he could lay back. He shut his eyes, drifting off into another memory;

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"Ow!" Jay hissed and flinched as Luke swept away the blood from the new cut above his eyebrow._

 _"Jay, you have to stop provoking Bray," Luke admonished him, gently. "All he's trying to do is teach a lesson, and when you sass him like you're doing, you're only hurting yourself."_

 _Jay folded his arms over his chest, the chains dangling from them clinking softly. His eyes stared down at a spot on the floor. "I could care less. Bray can beat me bloody, and I still won't join him. And if you're listening to him, then you're just as much a crackpot as he is."_

 _Luke flinched at the harshness of Jay's words. It had been two weeks since Jay had been taken captive, and he was proving to be a tough nut to crack. Nothing that Bray had taught was getting through to the older blonde's strong willed-mind. His personality and bluntness and fire were just three things that Luke liked about Jay, but those qualities had gotten Jay into trouble with Bray from the get-go, and they were doing more harm than good at this stage._

 _"I wanna go home, Luke," Jay pleaded, softly._

 _"Home to what?" Luke asked him. "A lonely house, an empty suitcase, and your cats? If you're worried about your cats, don't be. I'm sure that whoever you have watching your place is taking care of them. They wouldn't be so callous as to leave them alone."_

 _"What about my friends? They must be worried sick about me."_

 _"Nobody's said anything about your absence. JBL and Cole are making some bad jokes about your absence on the air, and if I'm not mistaken, Vince is probably feeding them those lines. You know how Vince feels about you. He hates you. And as far as your friends go, Bray made you give them up the night you arrived here."_

 _"Doesn't mean I can't miss them and worry about them."_

 _"Jay, they turned their backs on you the moment they became famous," Luke pointed out. "You know that, I know that, Bray knows that, and everyone else around you knows that. The reality is, you have nothing to really go home to." And Luke was right about that. He'd figured that out the first time he'd shadowed the veteran superstar while he was at home;_

He'd observed Jay from behind a tree in the backyard while he was fixing supper. From his vantage point, Luke was able to catch quite a few details. Jay looked domestic and content, but lonely as he stirred a pot of something that simmered quietly on the stove. On the counter was his cell phone; Jay reached over and picked up the phone to check for messages...but he put it down just as quickly as he'd picked it up. Obviously, nobody had the time to call Jay; they were too busy with their own lives to worry about him.

A small gray cat jumped up nimbly on the counter to attract her owner's interest. Jay scratched her gently behind the ears and petted her head before he began to set the table for his solitary meal. Luke watched the quiet scene from the safety of his hiding place, feeling a twinge of sympathy.

If only Jay knew that he wasn't alone.

 _Jay cast a sideways glance at Bray's First Son. "Why, Luke?"_

 _"Why what?"_

 _"Out of everyone you guys could have picked to chain up and preach to, you picked me. Why?" Before Luke could answer, Jay added, "And if I hear you say it's because you love me one more time, I'll rip your eyes out. And I don't give a fuck if I'm in chains or not."_

 _"There is another reason. Bray knew from the moment he first lay eyes on you that you were destined for something special."_

 _"Whatever," huffed Jay, before he curled up on the bed, his back turned. A full minute of uncomfortable silence passed before Luke climbed off the bed and walked out of the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him._

~~~ANGEL~~~

Jay sat up and clutched the pillow he'd been resting his head on to his chest. _Not even gone a day, and I already miss him,_ he thought. But he and the others would be back later tonight, perhaps early, early morning. And while he couldn't nestle in his lover's arms at the moment, Jay could press the pillow to his face, inhale his lover's scent, think back to the first time he'd allowed Luke to touch him intimately.

And he could replay the words he'd uttered that night from the bottom of his heart; _Remember what you said to me after Bray brought me back up here? You didn't want me to say_ I love you _unless I absolutely wanted to say it, and unless I absolutely meant it. Well...I absolutely want to say this, and I absolutely mean it. I love you, Luke Harper._

After a while, Jay set the pillow down and got off the bed. He needed to get unpacked.

It didn't take Jay very long to get settled in; traveling light had its advantages. Jeans, pants, shirts, undergarments, shoes, a couple of nice suits—just in case—and his personal items (toothpaste, razor, and the like). He brought his study books, his laptop, his cell phone, and the necessary parts that went along with them. Jay didn't expect that there'd be any wifi out here, but it didn't hurt to be prepared. Perhaps the Pollards, with two high-school age sons and two college-age daughters, would have something out of necessity.

Jay had everything unpacked and stowed away in less than an hour. With that out of the way, he decided to change his clothes. A fresh pair of pants, a shirt he absently pulled out of the closet, and a pair of broken-in work boots. He fixed his hair in the mirror on the dresser, scruffing his fingers through it so that it would stand up some. Jay felt comfortable, casual. This wasn't some fancy soiree he was attending. He was going to supper at the home of a group he would now consider part of his family, so there was really nobody he wanted, or needed, to impress.

With nothing to do until supper time, Jay decided to gather a couple of his books, as well as a notebook and pencil, and head back downstairs to study in the kitchen. No doubt there'd be some changes there. _If the kitchen's half as clean as the rest of the place,_ Jay thought, bounding down the steps, _That would be a huge improvement._

Jay was not disappointed. The kitchen was just as clean as the rest of the house. There were no modern conveniences—no microwave, no dishwasher—but what was there looked to be clean and in decent nick. The kitchen table, its matching railback chairs, and the cabinets had once been glossy white, but they hadn't been painted for several years (that would be the next big project while Jimmy and Frank were off on summer break, Violet had said earlier during the car ride). They were faded to a yellow-white now. The walls were painted dark green, and the chintz curtains were clean but faded.

In the icebox, Jay was pleasantly surprised to find a pitcher of iced tea. He found a clean glass on the dishrack near the sink and filled it before taking his place at the kitchen table.

In the quiet kitchen, Jay read through a chapter of _Final Quest_ and took notes while he sipped his tea _,_ his only company being the gaudy Kit-Cat clock on the wall. Its tail swayed back and forth in time with its googly bejeweled eyes. After supper, he decided, he'd try to catch up on the Seven Diamonds Plus One study. _I might as well. I have nothing planned,_ Jay thought, with a slight grin, as he put his glass in the sink and returned to the table to collect his books. _No commitments, no matches. I could really get spoiled by all this spare time._

 _Click, click, click...CREEAAAK...SLAM!_

The comfortable solitude was rudely interrupted by what sounded to Jay like an intruder. Jay got up so suddenly, his chair fell over. His heart unexpectedly began to race, and a coppery taste filled his mouth. _When did I become so hypervigilant?_ Jay wondered in confusion. To his ears, it sounded like someone was breaking into the place.

And whoever was breaking in was now headed down the hall and through the dining room to the kitchen.

 _But why would anyone wanna break into this place?!_ Jay glanced over his shoulder. His panicked eyes caught sight of a cast-iron skillet sitting on the stove. Every nerve in Jay's body shouted, _Fight! Defend yourself!_ as he wrapped his fingers around the handle of the skillet and scrunched himself up against the counter right next to the fridge. Whoever was intruding on Jay's solitude would seriously regret it if Jay had his way.

The footsteps drew closer.

 _Closer...closer..._ Jay counted ten thumps of his heart and then leaped through the doorway, skillet in hand. Both he and the intruder screamed, and the intruder backed into the kitchen door.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Yeah, it's a cliffhanger, but I'll make sure to resolve that ASAP. BTW, Jay is experiencing a phenomena known as hypervigilance, which is a symptom of PTSD, and it refers to the experience of being constantly tense and "on guard."**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	4. Break Me: Chapter Four

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Not a whole lot to say about this chapter, though it will resolve the cliffhanger.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Not my characters (except for Anna). This story is a continuation of sorts of the Wyatt one-shot series written by theytalktome on FFDN. I received permission to use the stories as the basis for this one (I can't stress this enough!).**

 ** _Break Me: Chapter Four_**

" _There are no coincidences in life. What person that wandered in and out of your life was there for some purpose, even if they caused you harm. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense the short periods of time we get with people, or the outcomes from their choices. However, if you turn it over to God he promises that you will see the big picture in the hereafter. Nothing is too small to be a mistake."_  
― _Shannon L. Alder_

"What the hell!" barked a young female voice. "You just about gave me a heart attack!"

A young woman stood in front of Jay, tiny and waiflike, wearing faded denim overalls with a green and pink plaid shirt underneath and white sandals on her feet. Her tied-back spill of honey-blonde curls tumbled well past her shoulders, and her face was scrubbed pink. And at the moment, her fresh-scrubbed face wore a fierce scowl.

"I...thought I heard someone break in," Jay offered, sheepishly.

The young woman snorted. "Seriously, you think anybody's gonna try to break into _this_ place?"

"Well..." Jay felt a blush rising in his cheeks as he put the cast iron skillet back on the stove. "I assumed that I was the only one in the house, and when I heard someone opening the front door, I...kinda panicked."

The young woman's expression softened as she stepped into the kitchen. "You could have given me a concussion with that frying pan you were fixing to hit me with," she said, as she opened the icebox door and pulled out a can of Cherry RC Cola. "But I have to admire your moxie and your ability to think on your feet. Even if the frying pan was an unoriginal weapon of choice." A pause, and then the young woman smiled pleasantly enough. "I'm Anna."

"My name's Jay."

"You look and sound familiar. Wait a minute..." One of Anna's blonde eyebrows cocked in recognition. "Jay Reso. You're Luke's Angel, aren't you? AKA Christian, AKA Christian Cage. Am I right?"

"What gives you that idea?"

"He talked about you so much that I feel like I know you already. I've seen you on Smackdown and RAW and on You Tube, so I know what you look like. And, you're wearing one of Luke's shirts, so that's a dead giveaway."

"Oh." Jay glanced down at the red sleeveless shirt he'd thrown on and blushed yet again. What was so odd about this girl that made Jay feel like he was so unprepared and inexperienced? "I guess it is," he shrugged, setting the fallen chair upright and taking his seat again at the table. "Bina thinks I'm a real live angel."

Anna chuckled as she pulled up a chair and sat across from Jay. "Bina thinks _everyone's_ an angel. Once she gets an idea in her head, it's almost impossible to get it out of her head. But that's what makes her so unique. And the angel thing fits with what Bray's always preaching, so none of us try to discourage her." Anna popped open her can of Cherry RC. After taking a long, cold drink out of it, she asked, "So, I take it that the rumors about your eminent retirement are true?"

"Unless Vince decides to dress me up like some idiot superhero or put me in a match against midgets, I guess the rumors are true."

"Oh, perish the thought!" Anna gasped, trying to keep a straight face. "You already did your tour of duty dressed as a bad superhero and a chicken mascot! And if I haven't seen you with a midget, then it's probably 'cause I haven't gotten caught up yet. How much dignity do you have left?"

"Not much. Remember Jericho and me getting our clothes stolen by the Dudleys?"

"I think I was six at the time. And I know that was _not_ your jar of Ass Crème." Anna and Jay laughed riotously. "I'm surprised you survived in the business as long as you did. You'd think they'd give you a nice sendoff."

"Just as well, though," Jay shrugged. "The last tour of duty I had there was less than stellar. I'm actually glad I'm not there anymore on a regular basis."

"Well, retired or not, it's good to have you here."

"I..." Jay had to pause for a moment. "I guess I'm happy to be here too." He let a long sigh escape his lips, deciding that it was absolutely imperative to change the subject. "Did you guys hire a professional to help you guys clean the place up? Compared to what it looked like before, it looks like a palace."

Anna snorted and shook her head. "You think a professional did _this?"_ she asked, jerking a thumb towards the kitchen doorway. "You think too little of good old fashioned elbow grease. The girls and I rolled up our sleeves and cleaned this place up from top to bottom ourselves. In fact, that was the first thing the Pollards and I did when we all moved out here this past October. Our way of telling Bray thank you."

With a grin, Anna explained:

 _Anna had brought mops, pails, brooms, scrub brushes, sponges, rags, and bottles of cleaner to the Wyatt compound. She went down on her hands and knees with Violet, Bina, and Roselle, to scrub the floors and windows and walls, the corners, and around the edges, and under furniture. The work had been hot, hard, and demanding, but the girls laughed and chatted and listened to the classic rock station on the radio that Violet had brought in while they worked._

 _In a week of hard labor, the house was as clean as three young women and and one middle aged woman could possibly get it. Then, while Frankie and Jimmy worked on the outside, picking up trash, cleaning out gutters and whatnot, the girls set off bug bombs in every room of the house (with the exception of the room at the end of the upstairs hall) to kill any bugs that had hidden during the big cleanup. The dead spiders, flies, and crawlies were swept up by the bucketfuls. The girls tossed them out of a back window, and a big rainstorm washed the critters into the gutters. Then the birds found the carcasses and gorged themselves while the girls sat and watched from an upstairs window._

 _The girls didn't see any mice or rats, but they did see droppings. Violet guessed that the vermin were waiting for all the commotion to settle down before venturing out. So, to keep them away, she and Roselle soaked cotton balls in peppermint oil and placed them in the corners, under the beds, in the doorways, and in the closets._

Jay let a grin tweak across his lips. "So _that's_ the peppermint I'm smelling."

"It is. You have to refresh it though, every week, so the mice don't come back. I don't mind doing the work, neither does anyone else around here. It's easier to stay on top of keeping the place clean than it is to let it accumulate and then completely clean it out like we all had to. A little less busywork." Anna took another sip of her RC. "And speaking of busywork, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"Well, Violet and her mom have invited me to dinner at their place. You're welcome to tag along if you want. I don't think they'll mind an extra dinner guest."

"I'll have to pass on that offer. I have work tonight. I do data entry part time at the big rice mill in town. It's a pretty good gig, pays well for a four-hour shift. I tried applying for work at the L & N, but they aren't hiring cooks at the moment."

"Bray lets all of you work?" Jay cocked an eyebrow in bewilderment.

"Someone has to pay the bills and keep up around here. Bray and Luke drove trucks before they entered the WWE, and Erick was a hired hand here. So was Luke after he quit driving for a living. They all work in the WWE now, and it would be a huge double standard if Bray forbade any of us to work. A lot of the stuff you hear on TV when you watch them is exaggerated. It's Bray with the volume up."

 _Bray with the volume up,_ Jay thought bitterly to himself. _You don't know Bray as well as you think you do, little girl._

Anna finished her RC and got up from the table. "And speaking of cooks, I think we should put something together for the boys. I know they're just over in Lafayette, but with their taping schedule, not to mention washing up, interviews and all that, they won't be here until almost midnight."

"Maybe we can make them some sandwiches," Jay suggested before got up to follow Anna.

"I'll just make chicken salad, in case they all get here late and hungry," Anna said before she began to pull things out from the kitchen cabinets. A bowl, a rubber scraper, a can opener, a knife, and a wooden spoon. She continued, while she reached for an onion that sat on the windowsill. "Pretty simple, really. Just mix the mayo with canned chicken and add a few goodies. Chopped up pickles and some onion works pretty well. I'd add shredded carrots, but Bina's the only one who likes carrots in her chicken salad. She's just really picky like that. If you can get me the jars of mayo and sweet pickles out of the icebox, that'll be a huge help. And I can't reach the upper shelf where the canned chicken is. Can you get two cans out for me also?"

Jay and Anna got to work fixing the chicken salad, each of them falling into a comfortable silence. Jay noticed that Anna cleaned things up as she went along; consequently, there was very little that would need to be washed when the two of them were finished.

"You definitely know your way around a kitchen," Jay finally said, as he watched the petite blonde chop up some sweet pickles. With practiced skill, she scraped out the contents of the cans of chicken into the bowl and added the pickles and some chopped up onion.

Anna cocked a glossy eyebrow at Jay as she emptied half a jar of the mayonnaise into the chicken/pickle/onion mixture and began to stir it up. "You don't know me at all, do you?"

"Well, from the looks of things, you live on the compound, and you and the Pollards are holding down the fort while the boys are away."

"There's plastic wrap under the sink, can you bring that to me? Thanks." Anna covered the bowl of now-finished chicken salad and placed it in the icebox. "There, finished. We leave this out, and instead of being curled up in a nice warm bed sleeping, we'll all be curled up in the bathroom puking our guts out. Come on. I wanna show you something..."

~~~ANGEL~~~

"...When I was still in grade school and junior high, I would go to the diner that Emilyn—she's my foster mom—worked at and do my homework or read," Anna explained, as she and Jay headed up the stairs. "I usually got a free bowl of soup or slice of pie or a soda pop out of it. When I got older, I started working there as my first job. At first I bussed tables, then I started working in the kitchen doing prep work. I became a pretty good short-order-cook by the time I graduated high school."

It was now late afternoon, and the upstairs hall was lit by two high-wattage bulbs in a ceiling fixture. The oak floor creaked softly as Anna and Jay tread across it. To Jay's left was the room that he and Luke shared, Bray's bedroom, and the upstairs bathroom, the doors to which stood open; no lights were on back there. At the end of the hall, on the right, was a door that was painted white. Anna opened this door and flipped on the lights.

The lights revealed a room that was clean and in good repair. There were flower patterned shades and soft pink drapes over the windows. In the middle of the room was a queen sized bed upon which a bedspread of pale green with lavender and white flowers was draped. The walls were papered with a striped pattern of white, pale green and soft pink. The furniture—a wardrobe with a full-length mirror, a nightstand, and a dresser—was whitewashed, like the door. A rug with multiple colors in the pattern was draped across the floor rather haphazardly. In the corner was a whitewashed rocking chair upon which a plump red cushion with tiny white flowers lay.

"I've never seen the inside of this room before," Jay marveled. The décor didn't completely match, but somehow it felt _right._ "It feels like I'm on sacred ground."

"It's Abigail's old room. Bray kept it up after she died. He wanted to give the room to someone he thought was worthy of it . When I showed up on his doorstep this past October, he decided I was worthy."

"If you don't mind me asking...what's so special about you that Bray would give you Abigail's old room."

"Short answer...I'm her younger sister."

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _She taught me... She taught me from the young age. She said 'You gotta get them before they get you'. 'A rattlesnake's skin is the same color as leaves', she said. And we all understood her. She led us with love, but she told us that the fires, well, they are our friends, too. 'The world is an evil place', she said. And we agreed. And I was there. I was there when she took her final breath. She pulled me in close, and she said 'You're the one'. She said 'They chose you, long before you were ever in existence'. And I understood what she meant. Her touch... could save the world, but her kiss burns it to the ground. I love you, Sister Abigail."  
-Bray Wyatt, Monday Night RAW 8/26/13_

It felt like the world had just ground to a halt after Anna answered Jay's question. There'd been no doubt about her existence; this room had been off-limits, and Abigail's very name had been spoken with reverence around the compound. There had been trinkets and pictures all over the place that either belonged to her or reminded them all of her one way or another. But to actually see her (or at least her sister)? It was beyond overwhelming.

"Jay? Jay? _Jay!"_

Jay blinked and realized that Anna was waving her hand in front of his face. "Close your mouth before you start catching flies."

"I'm, uh...sorry," Jay stammered, blushing. "I'm just kinda thunderstruck."

"Obviously. You can sit down, Jay," Anna chuckled, as she sat down on the bed and patted the space to her left. "Don't worry, none of this will crumble into dust."

Jay did some arithmetic in his mind as he sat down on the bed. If Anna had arrived in October, then she would have arrived immediately after his return to his home in Tampa. About the same time the Pollards arrived, give or take a few days.

Anna got back up and fumbled through her dresser before pulling out a large tin with faded pictures of cookies on the sides and lid. "Emilyn suggested that I keep all my treasures in here so they don't get lost," she explained, opening up the lid. She pulled out a bracelet made of glass beads, a tiny baby rattle, a lavender hair ribbon, and stacks of faded letters and postcards wrapped with rubber bands before she found what she was looking for.

She pulled out three photographs and held them out for Jay to see. The first picture was of two little girls in white dresses sitting on the sidewalk. One had blonde hair, the other had light brown hair. The blonde girl was grinning goofily for the camera, and the darker haired one had her little face set in a scowl. "The darker haired one is Abigail," Anna pointed out. "This was taken when I was three and she was five."

The next picture was of a more clean-cut Wyatt. He still wore the black shirt and Hawaiian print vest, but his hair was considerably shorter, and his beard was not as bushy. It was hard to imagine Bray without his crazy hair, and Jay had to do a double take. "When I showed up on Bray's doorstep, I didn't recognize him until I saw his eyes," Anna laughed, before she showed Jay the last picture.

The scowling little girl had blossomed into a fresh-faced, smiling young woman. Her light brown hair framed her porcelain fair face in soft waves that spilled past her shoulders. Her eyes were big and sparkling blue, the kind that drew you in and kept you enthralled. She had a kindly look about her, one that made you feel like you knew her all your life, even if you'd met her for the first time.

"This is the last picture I have of Abigail," Anna sighed, before she put the pictures away. "And it's my favorite one." She paused before she sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed. "So, you wanna hear about my sister and how she wound up becoming Sister Abigail? Let me warn you...it'll be a long story, so I hope you're comfortable and ready to listen."

Jay stretched out sideways across the bed. The mattress was hard, but comfortable. "I'm ready. Tell me everything..."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Hmmm...looks like Abigail's origins may not be as spectacular or extraordinary as everyone wants to think they are. And as far as the "Bray with the volume up" idea goes? Suffice it to say that it's going to apply to Abigail as well.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	5. Break Me: Chapter Five

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this work. I know this is out of many readers' comfort zones, but I'm glad you're all giving this a chance. And while I'm thanking you all, please make sure to check out theytalktome's work on this site as well. I think she'd really appreciate the readership:)**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Not my characters (except for Anna).**

 ** _Break Me: Chapter Five_**

" _And it's hard to hate someone once you understand them."_  
― _Lucy Christopher, Stolen: A Letter to My Captor_

 _...Abigail and Anna grew up in an abusive home. They'd been removed from their biological parents and made wards of the state, each placed in separate foster homes. Anna was an intelligent little oddball who grew up with frazzled foster parents (her foster dad was a truck driver, her foster mom was a waitress, and they both worked long hours). In spite of being a latchkey kid more often than not, she was reasonably well-behaved and well adjusted, buoyed by the letters that Abigail managed to send her each month._

 _Abigail, on the other hand, had difficulty dealing with authority figures; she'd been through a dozen foster homes and ran away almost as many times. Finally, she'd been placed in a group home/school for at-risk teens. In spite of her inner turmoil, she managed to assure her little sister that they'd be reunited one day._

 _Abigail became involved with the Wyatt's completely by happenstance. It was early summer, and Abigail and another friend had run off with a trucker named Bray Wyatt. After dropping the friend off at her home, Bray and Abigail continued on. What started out as a ride blossomed into a friendship, and eventually, a romance._

 _The weeks passed, and Bray and Abigail grew closer. Bray took Abigail to the compound to introduce her to Luke and Erick. The compound had belonged to Bray's family, and Bray inherited it after his uncle's death from cancer. Luke and Erick had been hired hands who stayed on after the older Wyatt had passed on, and they shared Bray's odd religious philosophies. It was here, among this collection of oddballs, that Abigail found a place she belonged._

 _Bray and Abigail continued on, traveling on Bray's trucking routes. The two of them enjoyed each other's company, and Bray treated Abigail well. Abigail would send Anna postcards and letters that spoke fondly of Bray and his "sons," and their time spent on the road. It had been one of the happiest times in Abigail's life._

 _That however, came to a screeching halt when Bray was pulled over in a random traffic stop. A state trooper asked Abigail to get out the truck, and she cooperated. When she gave the trooper her license, it triggered a missing persons report. Abigail pleaded with the trooper to let her stay with Bray...but it was no use. The trooper compromised...he would let Bray go if Abigail left willingly. Realizing she was over a barrel, Abigail returned to school._

 _Up until that fateful day, things had been good for Abigail school wise. She was behaving herself, and was due to graduate in a few months. Because of her adventure, however, Abigail was now considered a flight risk, and was watched more closely by the school staff. However, she managed to smuggle letters out to her sister to send to Bray. It was obvious to those around Abigail and Bray that the two were still in love with each other. Soon, Abigail decided that she was going to look for Bray and run away with him again._

 _Finally, on the first day of spring, Abigail and some other kids from the school were dropped off at a nearby mall to watch a movie. To Abigail's good fortune, there were no counselors or other chaperones around to watch the group. When the time came to pick everyone up, Abigail wasn't there. She had run away again, this time to a nearby truck stop, where she had hitched a ride with a friendly trucker, who'd given her money for food and other items before dropping her off at another truck stop. Abigail and Bray had been separated for months and Abigail looked forward to seeing him again. If she didn't see Bray, she decided, then she would hitchhike to Louisiana, and eventually make her way to the compound._

 _Abigail spent several hours at the truck stop the Good Sam had dropped her off at making calls to her friends, letting them know she was safe. She even tried to call Bray, but only got an answering machine. Eventually, she hitched a ride with a long-distance trucker, a married man with three children and a pregnant wife at home. The trucker drove Abigail across state lines and pulled off for the night so that he and his passenger could get some rest._

 _While Abigail got ready for bed, the trucker fudged his log books to cover for the few hours he needed to do what he was planning. His pregnant wife at home was no longer attractive to him, and he wanted to have some fun with the pretty girl in his truck._

 _As Abigail stretched out in the sleeping compartment, the trucker pounced. A violent struggle followed, but Abigail managed to drive a hard knee into the trucker's groin. He was stunned long enough for Abigail to strike him in the head and knock him out with a hard, heavy object she found under the bed; it had been a baseball bat that, ironically, the trucker kept in his cab to defend himself from crooks._

 _Abigail grabbed her shoes, her coat and her purse, and rushed out of the truck, refusing to look back. She ran for nearly three miles before a friendly young mom on her way home from the late shift at work found her near an exit ramp and gave her a lift to a bus station. After hearing her story, the mom gave her money for a bus ticket to Louisiana._

 _Three days after she escaped the school, she appeared on Bray's doorstep. They embraced, and it was like they'd never been apart._

 _The two of them "married," once Abigail was of age, and soon Bray and his new wife, whom he'd christened "Sister Abigail," began life at the compound. They moved into the whitewashed bedroom; it had belonged to Bray's late aunt. There, they consummated their relationship and grew closer than ever. Abigail kept the place clean and cooked for her "boys," as she now affectionately called them, and wrote her sister every week. In a few years, Anna would be old enough to leave the foster system, and join the Wyatt's on their compound as part of their extended family. Anna would also be able to meet the new baby that Abigail was now expecting._

 _However, the happiness was shattered on the day Abigail was supposed to deliver their child. She went into hard labor and struggled for several hours. Had Abigail known that she was one of those women who were not intended to get pregnant or give birth, she and Bray would have been much more careful. But she didn't know, and they weren't careful, and tragically, she delivered a stillborn baby boy before dying in Bray's arms._

 _What was supposed to be a joyous occasion had been a double tragedy._

~~~ANGEL~~~

"...Bray tried to keep in touch, but eventually the letters slowed down, and then stopped altogether. At the time, I was still too young to travel on my own. I kept all the letters in the cookie tin. Emilyn said that letter writing kept me out of trouble, so she and Boyd—he's my foster dad—didn't see anything negative about it. Besides, my fosters thought it had been a bad idea to separate me and Abigail, so the letters were a way for us to stay connected."

Jay sat back up. He'd gotten so comfortable on the bed that he was about to fall asleep. "So how'd you wind up here?"

"Bray spiraled after Abigail died. He became a recluse of sorts. From what I heard, he quit his job so he could spread his philosophies. Then, he and the boys got the gig in the WWE, and you know the rest.

"Now, at the same time, I was fixing to graduate from high school, and I was going to be aged out of the foster system on my eighteenth birthday. And that scared me because neither of my bio parents, nor any of my blood relatives, wanted me back. I was terrified that I'd be thrown out on the street. No matter how well a foster family treats you, you always have that in the back of your mind. But, on my eighteenth birthday, Boyd and Emilyn unofficially adopted me. Maybe they weren't the greatest parents in the world, but Boyd and Emilyn Wallace were my family for fourteen years. They said that I'd lived with them for so long, they thought of me as their own daughter and considered me part of their family."

Jay nodded in understanding. Sometimes blood ties did not a family make.

"As my adoption/birthday present," Anna continued, "Boyd gave me an address. See he'd pulled some strings at his trucking company to find Bray for me. When Bray and Abigail sent the letters, they had no return address, just a postmark from Lafayette. The address I sent the letters to while Abigail was in school was a P.O. box. So Boyd tracked Bray down for me and provided me with his physical address. He and Emilyn also gave me some money they'd saved up for me from the first day I went to live with them. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get me here and situated, and it kept me afloat until I got the job at the rice mill."

Anna chuckled. "You should have seen the look on Bray's face when I showed up on his doorstep. He looked like he'd seen a ghost at first, but then I told him who I was. Believe you me, Bray tried to treat me like freakin' royalty my first night here, but I said no. If I was part of the family, then dammit, I was going to stay here and work like I was part of it."

"I can see the resemblance between you and your sister."

"It's the eyes. We have the same eyes." Anna climbed off the bed to put away the cookie tin. "Well," she said, turning to face Jay and folding her arms across her chest, "Now that I've given you my life story, not to mention Abigail's, I think it's time you shared yours. How'd you wind up here and become Luke's Angel?"

Slowly, almost dreamlike, Jay climbed to his feet and approached the window. Pulling back the drapes, he gazed through the glass at the outside, across the mowed lawn, the flower beds that were neatly tended, the Pollard's double-wide. He noticed the Buick in front of the double-wide; Violet was back from picking Roselle up from work. While he was staring out the window, he let Abigail's tragic story replay in his head.

Abigail hadn't been some mythical religious leader. She'd been a troubled teenaged girl who'd fallen in love with a truck driver with odd religious views. She and Bray had risked everything—their jobs, their freedoms, the law—just so they could be together and happy. And just when they'd found their joy, it was cruelly ripped away. Reeling from a double tragedy, Bray turned to his religion for comfort and idealized the woman he'd loved to the point that she'd become a mythical being. Bray's religion in turn became a coping mechanism to keep him from dealing with his loss. Admit that you lost your wife and baby in the same day, and it becomes real, and something to deal with.

No wonder Bray was the way he was.

Jay let his gaze settle on a very familiar prefab shed that looked almost out of place amid the older buildings. It was where Bray conducted his sermons. Before Jay knew it, he could suddenly smell mold and dust, fog and swamp water, concrete and steel, dampness and mud and wildflowers. He smelled blood and sweat and fear. It was the scent of memories.

His memories...

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"...Everyone thinks that my message is nothing but a pack of lies, and the ravings of a lunatic mind, and that all I want to do is watch the world burn down. And yeah, that's right. I do want to watch this world burn...the same way a farmer watches his spoiled crops burn so that they rise up again. This world, this poisoned, sick, twisted world must be burned down so that it can be reborn, into something more vibrant and godly._

 _"But once it's reborn, amen and hallelujah! Once that poison is drained and the sickness is healed, we can all celebrate and take part in the bounty of the new world._

 _"Rejoice and exalt and gladden your hearts. Look, a wedding feast of fine things is prepared, even the bounty of Heaven and Earth; come and see, sweet fruit in a rainbow of abundance, as sweet and healing, as delicious and delightful as the love of the Lord and the fruit of the Tree of Life, ripened by the glowing and shining sun under the sapphire blue sky of heaven; it is the Righteous Government of Heaven that ripens the fruits of the earth._

 _"Come and see what's on the banquet table. Golden loaves of sprouted grain bread piled high, well baked and sweet as honey, and as nourishing and delicious and healing to the soul as the Bread of Life and the Staff of Life and the Wheat of Gathering and Saving grown upon the Emerald Green Earth of Eden and ripened in amber waves of grain._

 _"Come and see, sparkling Ruby Red Wine, well refined from the True and Living Vine and as sweet and delightful to the soul as the love of the Lord, and as healing and strengthening as the Pure Doctrines of the Atonement and the Judgement Seat of Jesus. Come and see, beside the wine, crystal clear spring water, sparkling like Diamonds of Light and Truth and Love, even the Pure Testimony of Jesus flowing eternally in his True Church, even as Living Waters from the Fountain of all Righteousness, springing up into Eternal Life._

 _"Yes, come and see and partake, all you that hunger and thirst after Righteousness and be filled, and hunger and thirst no more forever. Yes, come and eat and drink that which is good and be satisfied in the abundance of your souls pleasure."_

 _A loud, derisive snort interrupted Bray's joyous message. Bray's expression turned from joyful to steely as he stared down at Jay, who was trying to hold in his laughter. He was unsuccessful, as his giggles flowed out of his mouth like bubbles in a glass of soda pop._

 _The Eater of Worlds glared at his captive. Bray was down to his last nerve...and the blonde veteran was getting on it._

 _"Vibrant?! Godly?" Jay snickered, as he rose to his feet. Luke and Erick stared at him, like he'd just sprouted horns and a tail. Shamelessly, he locked eyes with the blue-eyed "spiritual leader" and approached him, the chains on his ankles dragging behind him. "You call this place vibrant and godly?! Looking around at this dump, you could have fooled me."_

 _Cat-quick, Luke rose to his feet and stepped in front of Jay, a wall of protection between the angry leader and the man he was hopelessly in love with._

 _Bray would have none of that, not today, not tomorrow, not anymore. "Luke," he warned his First Son, in a stern voice that left_ no room _for argument. "Get out of my way." When Luke hesitated, Bray shoved him aside and then came face-to-face with his defiant captive._

 _Unlike the First Son, Bray didn't hesitate. He backhanded Jay hard across the face before the defiant blonde could so much as blink. Jay's head whipped to the side, and sparks crossed his vision. Luke made a move to protect Jay, but an icy glare from Bray actually made him step backwards a few paces._

 _The Eater of Worlds grabbed Jay by the chin and forced him to follow his furious blue gaze. "So..." he hissed. "You don't think this place is vibrant and godly? You don't see the miracles at work here?"_

 _"Well," Jay snorted, refusing to be cowed. "I guess this place to you is all vibrant and godly. But then you're a lunatic, so maybe everything's vibrant and godly to you. And any miracles at work are all in your crazy head."_

 _Bray narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low, calm voice that was downright scary. "I've heard it all, Jay._ Bray Wyatt, he's a psycho. He's a lunatic. He's crazy. Don't you follow Bray Wyatt, he's a nut! _Well, I know another man everyone called a psycho. A young carpenter's son, and what did he do for you? Well, let's get one thing straight._ I'm not him. _In fact, I'm_ nowhere near him. _I'm not a man at all. I'm the nagging conscience of a world that throw itself away to mere monsters. I'm everywhere, and I'm everything."_

 _Without thinking, Jay fired back. "That just proves my point. You're nothing but a FUCKING PSYCHO!"_

 _That was it! Snarling, Bray responded with a belting whack against the side of Jay's head that made the older blonde stagger and yelp in pain. Instinctively, Jay threw his arms over his head to protect himself. Bray lunged forward, and with a speed and strength that was almost inhuman, he grabbed the chains that bound Jay's hands and used them to sling his captive across the room. Jay crashed to the floor in a sprawled, chain-entangled, and disheveled heap._

 _A torrent of angry, wet tears streamed down Jay's cheeks as he tried to crawl to his knees and catch his breath. Bray wouldn't allow that; he kicked Jay in the ribs with a steel-toed boot, and Jay collapsed, clutching his side in pain._

 _"NO!" Luke tried to rush over to the fallen blonde but the sheep-masked Erick held him back in a rock-iron grip. "LET ME GO! DON'T YOU HURT HIM!"_

 _"HOLD HIM!" Bray ordered Erick, his voice sharp. He glanced down at Jay, and then locked eyes with the First Son. "Luke, go back to the house and stay there until Erick and I come back."_

 _"What are you gonna do to him?" Luke dared to ask._

 _Bray drew closer to his First Son. "He needs to learn that this is now his home, Luke. He has to learn to listen and understand what I teach, with no backtalk. And he needs to know to respect and obey me," he explained, gently. "You've been letting him get away with too much, and it stops now."_

 _"Don't hurt him," Luke pleaded, softly._

 _Bray placed a fatherly hand on Luke's shoulder. His voice was kind, but firm. "Luke, you've been much too soft with him. You should have taken a harder stance with him from the beginning, but you didn't, and it's come down to this. If you want Jay to be part of this family, then you have to let me do what I must._

 _"I know how important he is to you, and I know he's my gift to you for your loyalty and hard work. And we all know that's he's more important to this world than he thinks. Luke, Jay is destined for something special. I knew that the moment I first laid eyes on him, but he doesn't know it. He refuses to see it. It's gonna take some time, but when I finish, he will have no doubt in his mind. And you'll have his undying love and devotion and respect as well. But you have to trust me._ Do you trust me, Luke?"

 _After a moment of silence, which was interrupted by Jay's whimpers of pain and gasps for breath, Luke nodded. "I trust you."_

 _"Alright, then. Go to the house and stay there until Erick and I come back."_

 _Erick let go of Luke who turned and walked slowly out of the shed. Before he stepped through the open doorway, he turned to look at Jay one last time. A look of terror crossed Jay's face, and the captive blonde mouthed,_ Help me!

 _A look of regret crossed Luke's face._ I'm sorry, _he mouthed back before he walked out._

 _In the house, Luke paced the kitchen floor, imagining what kind of punishment Bray had in store for the man that he'd wanted as his lover. It didn't take long for Luke to figure out what was in store for Jay; he could hear the distant crack of a whip, and screams of pain that could be easily identified as Jay's. Luke flinched, like he was the one receiving the punishment._

 _Bray's assurance,_ When I finish, you'll have his undying love and devotion and respect. But you have to trust me, _repeated in Luke's mind as he put his hands over his ears to drown out Jay's screams. He had to trust Bray, but he also feared for Jay's safety...as well as his sanity._

~~~ANGEL~~~

"AAACK!" Jay shouted in surprise and jumped. The gentle hand that had touched his back felt like the sting of Bray's whip, and it made him recoil and back into the window. Heart racing, he whirled around to see Anna with a surprised look on her face.

"Jumpy, Reso?"

Jay blushed; he imagined that his face had just turned as red as his shirt. "I'm...I'm really sorry."

"I was trying to get your attention for a while now. You had a thousand-mile stare in your eyes. You alright?"

"Yeah." Jay pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Just coming back and seeing the place again, then hearing about Abigail and what happened to her. Kinda overwhelming, you know?"

Anna nodded, though she wasn't totally convinced. "It is, huh?" A pause. "So, you wanna tell me how you and Luke wound up an item? You don't seem to be the kind that would capture Luke's fancy. So there has to be something extra special about you that drew my brother-in-law and his boys to you."

The silence that followed Anna's question was uncomfortable. Jay pressed his lips into a tight line as he thought of a good answer. He couldn't think of one. How could he really explain his attachment to the Wyatts without demonizing them in the process? Yes, Jay knew they'd kidnapped him, but was it kidnapping if he'd been planning to kill himself and the Wyatts, in their unconventional manner, had stopped him? He knew he'd been held here against his will, but was it being held against his will if the chains that Bray put him in kept him from taking his own life at the first opportunity? And Jay knew he'd been beaten, whipped, and slapped around, but was it because the Wyatts were sadistic, or was it because he was being disrespectful and mouthy, and the blows that were struck were merely to discipline him?

And were Bray's words meant to brainwash Jay? Or were they promises of a bright and beautiful future full of potential and joy if he just cast aside his old self and become a new and vibrant being? _If I wasn't destined for something special,_ Jay thought to himself, _Then what would be the point of them taking me like they did?_

 _And if they didn't do what they did, I never would have met the man I love so much._

 _I can't jeopardize that!_

 _I can't break Luke's heart! I can't betray Bray._

 _Never!_

 _They're family. All of them here—even the ones I haven't met yet._

 _I'm so confused._

Finally, Jay lifted his head and met Anna's inquisitive blue gaze. His answer was just two words:

"It's...complicated."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I kinda feel like I cranked out the last part of this chapter on Autopilot. Let me know if it sucked or not.**

 **The origin of Bray's sermon is controversial. If you're interested in where I got it from (the parts that aren't from cagematch dot net, anyway!), feel free to PM me or leave a message with your review.**

 **SPEAKING OF WHICH...REVIEWS = LOVE**


	6. Break Me: Chapter Six

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Quite a bit is going to happen here, much of it in Jay's mind. I can't stress this enough...in spite of all the good Bray did for Jay, it still left him with some serious damage, as you will soon see.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Not my characters, except for Anna and the Pollards as I imagine them. Special thanks to cagematch dot net for their extensive promo database, and another thanks to theytalktome for her Wyatt one-shot series.**

 **Rated T for some F-words sprinkled here and there and violence.**

 ** _Break Me: Chapter Six_**

 _"Have you heard the good news...the earth is rotting beneath your feet...the human race is a bacteria that infects and destroys...He needed me. He needed me! [laughs]...fate works in strange ways...He was lost! ...she dances and sings in the light, she lurks in the shadows and she always gets her way...Now, he has a home. YOUR WORDS MEAN NOTHING TO HIM NOW! He only hears... my truth. Now, he has a home."  
\- Bray Wyatt, WWE Smackdown, 1/3/14_

When six o'clock rolled around, Jay was taking notes while reading through _Final Quest_ and glancing out the living room window every so often. Anna was gone; she'd left for her part time job in a short-bed, magenta colored Ford truck that looked too big for her to drive (it was her daily driver, she'd insisted with a laugh). Earlier, Jay had heard the rumble of another vehicle (probably Jimmy and Frank home from school or their part-time jobs, or whatever it was they were doing).

Jay let himself get acclimated to the noises and sights on the compound, which was why he didn't freak out when he heard a knock on the front door. He'd actually heard Bina singing in a clear, high voice as she walked up to the front porch. _"...Studying about those good old days and who shall wear the starry crown? Good Lord, show me the way..."_

He got up and opened the door before Bina could knock a second time. A slow smile spread across his face. "Well. Hi, Bina. You look quite lovely tonight."

"It's a special occasion," Bina explained, artlessly. "It's not often that a real live angel comes to dinner. I wanted to look my best." And she looked prim and proper, dressed in a sleeveless periwinkle blue blouse and white capri pants. Her pale blonde hair was put up in a ponytail, and she had on a touch of makeup. "And Momma always tells me, don't forget to be kind to strangers, because because many of us may have been kind to an angel without knowing it."

Jay stepped out onto the porch, closing the front door softly behind him. "Well, I'm not a stranger now, am I?"

"No, but you're an angel." Jay had to chuckle at that. He didn't think he was _that_ angelic, but he wasn't about to argue.

"And I wanted to ask you..." Bina glanced down at her sandaled feet for a moment, and it occurred to Jay that she was trying to get her courage up. He wasn't as patient as Violet was, but he waited as quietly as he could.

Finally, the shy blonde glanced up at Jay, her eyes wide. "Would...would you be so kind as to walk me to my house?"

Jay couldn't stop the grin that tugged across his lips. Bina was quite charming, in her own blunt way. "Well, Miss Bina, I'd love to walk you to your house," he answered back, as Bina slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. The two of them stepped off the porch and walked down the gravel pathway that ran across the Wyatt compound, with Jay escorting Bina the way a proper gentleman should. It was a pleasant walk; the clouds in the horizon were tinted pink by the sun, which was just beginning to set, the air had just enough cool bite to it to remind one that it was still spring, and the distant music of singing birds and buzzing insects provided comfortable background noise.

"See that patch of wild strawberries over there?" Bina asked, pointing off to the distance with a slender finger.

Jay smiled, letting some very pleasant memories play in his head. "I see it. Luke and I picked a lot of strawberries out of that patch."

"That's where Abigail and her baby are buried," Bina said, bluntly.

Jay shuddered. "I've been picking berries where someone's buried? That's kinda creepy." He paused. "So I assume you know all about Sister Abigail, right?"

"It's not like it's a huge secret," Bina shrugged. "We just don't talk about it outside the compound. Bray said that the patch wasn't there before Abigail died. The month after she and the baby were buried, the strawberries suddenly grew there. Almost like they'd appeared out of thin air. And you know something? No matter how many berries you pick out of that patch, it never runs out. It's like they grow back overnight. I kinda think it's Abigail's way of saying I love you."

"Still it's kinda weird that a strawberry patch suddenly appeared where someone's buried."

"Well, if Abigail didn't want you at her gravesite, then there'd be poison ivy or a nest of copperheads or something like that growing there. She wouldn't put strawberries there if she didn't want you visiting her, right?"

Jay had to laugh. "That's actually a good point."

A good distance away from the strawberry patch, perhaps fifty feet or so, stood a rickety-looking building. It was a shed that was an original part of the property. It had once been white, but it was now so weathered that bare wood showed in multiple places. Whatever paint remained was either peeling or almost transparent. There was a white metal door that you slid up to open, but that too looked weathered and beaten as well.

Jay tensed up involuntarily. This was where Bray had dragged him to after he'd mouthed off one time too many. It had been a garage where farming equipment had been stored. The equipment had been sold years ago, leaving plenty of chains and hooks and other assorted contraptions that Bray had put to good use. The building had been a dark, silent place, with no light and a cold concrete floor to which Jay had been chained for hours at a time. It was solitary confinement, interrupted only when Bray measured out his discipline and Erick stood like a silent, sheep-masked sentry to ensure that their captive had no chance to escape.

Compared to that cold, dark, terrifying hell, the house and the shed had been a palace. But deep in his heart, Jay knew that had he not been so defiant and mouthy in the first place, he never would have had to be dragged here...

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"Pull up your shirt, Jay."_

 _Jay's breathing was shaky, a side effect of the adrenaline surging through his body. He shook his head and mouthed the word No._

 _"PULL IT UP!" Bray shouted. "Or else I'll have Erick tear off all of your clothes."_

 _Jay's hands shook so hard, the chains dangling from them actually jingled. They were long enough for Jay to reach up and pull the stained and torn workshirt he wore up so that his bare back was exposed. A faint breeze brought goosebumps to the exposed skin._

 _"Please," Jay gasped, daring to glance at the Eater Of Worlds. "Don't do this! I'll be good, I promise. I won't run. I'll listen to you, I'll do everything you tell me, please don't hurt me, Bray! I'm sorry-"_

 _"SILENCE!" Bray roared. Jay let out a sob and shut his eyes, hating the hot tears that leaked from his eyes and trailed down his cheeks._

 _"I can read your intentions like a book, Jay. If I let you go now, you'd pretend to be good for a while, and then mouth off again, maybe run off. And I know exactly what you'd do afterwards, and believe you me, that's the last thing I want to have happen. You have pushed me far enough. You need to realize that actions have consequences. It's time now for you to face the consequences._

 _Bray's voice softened, and it sounded almost fatherly. "Jay, I don't want to do this to you, but because you've pushed me time and time again, you've left me with no other choice. And I need you to know we're going to punish you. And it's gonna hurt. A lot. But remember this. What I'm about to do to you will hurt me just as much as it'll hurt you. And I don't care if it kills me, I promise I'm going to prove to you that you're just like us. And in that moment of serenity I will take all the pain away, and you'll understand what I've been trying to do for you."_

 _More clinking of chains; before Jay knew it, his arms were now up over his head and secured to a hook that belonged to a heavy duty hoist, the kind used to lift large engines out of tractors and combines and such. He glanced down and noticed that his feet were secured to either side of the hoist on the bottom. With his hands and feet secured and his back exposed, it was easy for Jay to guess what would happen next. The soft sweep of something across his back confirmed his guess. He'd never felt so vulnerable and scared in his life._

 _"As I said earlier, Jay. Actions have consequences," Bray explained, letting the tip of the leather whip drag across Jay's exposed skin. "And for your disrespect and your selfishness, your punishment will be thirty lashes." He drew closer, his voice softening. "This is for your own good, Jay. I hope you'll understand"_

 _Jay let out a hoarse sob._

 _He heard the whip before he felt its sting, a high-pitched whistle through the air followed by a sharp, short crack! The end of the whip streaked across Jay's back just deep enough to leave a welt. Jay screamed; the pain was like a sharp lash of fire across his skin, a sensation he'd never wanted to feel in his lifetime, and one he wanted to forget. Jay didn't know how long he'd been flogged. He'd lost track of time after the tenth blow of the whip. When it was over, his back was covered in welts. Most were bright red, puffy temporary scar tracings that would settle on their own. But many more were open and bloody._

 _He screamed in pain, he screamed for mercy, and he screamed for Bray to stop._

 _But deep down, a voice was telling him,_ You brought this on yourself.

~~~ANGEL~~~

"Jay!"

Jay broke out of his harrowing recollection and glanced over at Bina, who had her hands on her hips and an odd look on her face. "You alright? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I, uhmm...I thought I saw Abigail," he stammered. "Up in the trees. She was wearing a flowered dress and I swore she was looking right at us."

"I see her too sometimes," Bina nodded, but there was a knowing expression in her eyes. "'C'mon. Dinner's gonna get cold if we don't hurry..."

~~~ANGEL~~~

(JAY POV)

 _Roselle Pollard was the kind of person you'd picture in your mind if someone mentioned the word_ Momma _. The kind of woman you'd see sitting in a wingback chair, humming to herself while she knitted a sweater or worked on some elaborate needlepoint project. The type you'd find in a brightly flowered house dress and a white apron, dropping neat spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet or perhaps mixing a cake._

 _She was middle aged, probably in her early fifties, and robust, vital, with strong features and good color. Her hair was short and stylish enough, and the same Nordic blonde as her daughters' hair. She had a sweet, kindly smile that put you right at ease. Here, that was something I desperately needed._

 _Her older son Jimmy was a physical brute; massive arms and shoulders, broad chest, long, muscular legs. His face was all hard planes and angles, and physically, he reminded me of a young Brock Lesnar. That is, until he smiled. That's when the generous, sweet smile of his mother would spread across his face and light it up like a Christmas tree. His hair was blonde, almost white, and his eyes were wide and blue (also his mom's contribution). Everyone over in Crowley knew him as a kindly soul who'd gladly help out a friend or neighbor in need._

 _Where Jimmy was the gentle giant, Frank was the agitator, practically daring you to knock off the chip he permanently carried on his shoulder. Frank was his polar opposite; shorter, stockier, and more round. His dark hair was always in need of a comb, and he had a perpetual smirk on his face. His eyes were so dark, they looked almost black. His nose was crooked; the result of a few fights in town. Frank took on after his late father...right down to the pugilistic attitude._

 _The people in town often thought Violet and Bina could find work as models, but Violet, of course, wasn't interested in that kind of thing; she wanted to become a nurse and work with premature babies, and Bina, with her Asperger's, would freak out from all the bright lights and noise. Besides, Bina preferred to spend her time at the library, reading about clouds and weather, or at home at the compound, either watching Jerry Springer or studying the Bible and poring over Bray's teachings._

 _Roselle set out a hearty meal—roast chicken, boiled potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, pickles, coffee, and cookies-and we all dived into it eagerly. The day had been eventful-and everyone was very, very hungry._

 _Before I knew it, it was ten o' clock. I would have stayed all night if given a chance, but it was a school night, and the boys needed to get to bed. Bina insisted on walking me back to the house. Briefly I wondered if Bina would be alright by herself going home, but she insisted. I'd been her angel when I helped her at Walmart, so she was gonna be mine and make sure I got home safely._

 _Anna had been right about Bina. Once she got an idea in her head, it was impossible to get it out of her head. Not that I minded. It's difficult to make a simple walk from one house to the next when you feel like there's walls closing in on you, or you worry about someone behind you who's waiting for the opportune moment to take a swing at you._

 _It was during that walk back to the house that I realized how much I missed Luke, and the security I felt when he was around. But if I was to continue on my life journey, then I had to learn to live without him constantly at my side._

(END JAY POV)

Later, back in the red and black bedroom, Jay was getting dressed for bed. Anna was home from work and already in bed, and Jay didn't know how soundly she slept, so he tried to keep the noise down.

He stepped into a pair of soft lounge pants that looked like a pair of old ripped jeans, pulled his sleepshirt on, and wrapped his arms around himself as he crept quietly towards the bed. Most would laugh at Jay's choice of sleepwear, an oversized, faded black t-shirt that came down almost to his knees. It was enormous and it hung on Jay's slender frame like a trash bag, but he didn't care. He didn't wear it because of how it looked on him. He wore it because of what it meant to him.

Luke had given the shirt to Jay after he'd bathed him following the days he'd been disciplined, and Jay clung to it like it was a security blanket. It was soft, it was comfortable, it was comforting. And best of all, it smelled like Luke; the warm, wood-smoky, faintly musky, slightly sweaty scent was imprinted on every inch of fabric. On the nights that Luke wasn't with him, Jay could slip the shirt on and breathe in its scent and feel like he was there in spirit.

Jay climbed into bed. The clean, soft bedclothes felt almost sinful. He reached over to turn off the bedside lamp and lay back, letting his head touch the cool, clean pillow. Jay inhaled deeply, breathing in Luke's scent, which lay beneath the smell of detergent and fabric softener. Slowly, he let his eyes close and attempted to drift off to sleep.

Sleep, however, would be harder to achieve than he thought...

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"They've been lying to you, man. There ain't no such thing as a hero! Not anymore... But you, and everyone else around you, have become addicted to the illusion of what a hero is. You have become addicted to the illusion of what a hero does for you. You think you need someone to pat you on the back. You think you need someone to talk you in bed at night, kiss on you on the cheek and tell you that everything is alright. But everything, everything, everything, EVERYTHING IS NOT ALRIGHT!"  
-Bray Wyatt, Monday Night RAW 7/15/13_

 _"Your ravenous behavior draws me to you, but your refusal to listen and obey me is testing my patience. The clock's ticking, Jay. You need to understand that I don't want to watch you suffer, but in my world there is no such thing as a happy ending. There are no fairy tales. I'm not gonna take you up to Daddy's house and roll you down a field of dandelions. This story ends the same way it started: Destruction. Destruction of your old self._

 _"And I need you to know we're going to bring you right to the limit to what you can endure. And then, we'll shove you past it. Hard. I don't care if it kills me, or if it kills Erick. I promise I'm going to prove to you that you're a monster, just like me. And in that moment of serenity I will take all the pain away... Join us! Join us, Jay!"_

 _Jay shot the Eater of Worlds a glare that could take paint off a wall. "Go fuck yourself."_

 _WHAM! Bay made a hamlike fist and belted Jay in the face. Jay's lip busted open and a coppery taste filled his mouth. He nearly gagged on the blood that bubbled down his throat._

 _Bray glared down at the defiant blonde who was now chained securely to the floor in the middle of the garage. His voice was cold and stern. "I'm afraid, Jay, that I have no mercy left to give. It could have been different, it could have been better, it could have been perfect. Well now, this is your fault. You gotta understand that it didn't have to be like this. All this pain, all this suffering...you brought this all on yourself. Your insane notion of wanting to kill yourself? There's no way in Hell I'm gonna let you do something so fucking selfish. Not when you have so much left to give this world."_

 _"You have no fucking idea what I've been through!" Jay spat, blood spraying from his mouth._

 _Bray fell to his knees so that he was eye-level with his captive. "Don't think I didn't know what you were planning in Baltimore," he snarled. "I watched you long before Luke fell head-over-heels in love with you. You were gonna jump off your hotel balcony. We'd already mapped out how we were gonna take you. Even if you'd somehow made your way out of the arena after your match with Kane that night, you never would have made it to the hotel lobby, let alone made it back to your hotel room. We wouldn't have allowed it. You're too valuable to me, you're too valuable to us, and Luke would never forgive me if you died on my watch."_

 _Jay felt a chill shudder through his body that had nothing to do with the coldness of the garage floor. "How...how long have you all been watching me?" he whispered in shock._

 _"Long enough for me to keep you from making the biggest, most selfish mistake of your life," Bray answered simply, as Jay hung his head in shame and fear._

 _"Suicide's an unforgivable sin, Jay," Bray pointed out. "And I'm gonna punish you for your selfishness. I want you to open your eyes." Swiftly, Bray grabbed a handful of Jay's hair and pulled his head up. "Open your eyes and look at your dismay! Open your eyes, Jay!"_

 _Jay had no choice but to open his eyes. Bray continued, his voice rising. "This is the end of your old life! If I have to wrap you in chains for the rest of your days and beat you to a pulp to save you from yourself, then DAMMIT, I WILL! YOUR OLD LIFE IS OVER, JAY! SO YOU'D BETTER GET WITH THE FUCKING PROGRAM!"_

 _"Take your best shot, you freak," Jay hissed back, his teeth stained red by the blood from his split lip. "You'll never break me."_

 _Bray let a sly grin play across his face. "We'll see about that," he purred, the softness in his voice more of a threat than his loud bellowing..._

...Jay gasped and sat upright in bed, his heart racing, and his palms sweaty. Tremors ran throughout his body, and for a moment, he forgot where he was. _Calm down! You're not in the garage anymore! You're safe and in bed! Steady! Deep breaths!_ he told himself, pressing his damp palms against the bedclothes and willing himself to relax.

Once his pulse stopped racing, Jay glanced around. The moon was shining through the window, bathing everything in the room in a cool, silvery glow. The moonlight cast long shadows on the furniture, making things look otherworldly. It almost felt like the shadows were arms reaching out to grab something—or someone.

And was it Jay's fevered imagination, or were the walls _closing in on him?_

"No...no," he whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. "This isn't the garage. I'm not in the garage. I'm in bed, I'm safe, Luke's gonna be home soon. I'm safe. I'm safe. I'm safe."

It became a mantra. _"I'm safe, I'm safe, I'm safe, I'm safe, I'm safe..."_ Jay's voice trailed off when he realized that his reassurances weren't working. A growl of frustration left his lips as he reached over almost angrily and flipped on the bedside light. The creepy shadows disappeared, and the walls were back to where they were supposed to be.

Jay flopped onto his back and draped his hand over his forehead. _I can't take another sleepless night if it's gonna be like this!_ he realized, before he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stumbled to his feet. Careful not to create any more disturbance than necessary, he ventured cautiously down the hall to the bathroom. A mixed scent of cleaning products and peppermint tingled his nose as he flipped on the bathroom light and staggered inside.

 _There's gotta be something in here that can help me get to sleep!_ Jay thought, fumbling through the medicine cabinet. There was toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, razors... _ah ha!_ A family-sized bottle of Benadryl.

Jay let a slight smile play across his face. A time-tested allergy pill with the added benefit of inducing drowsiness. _Well, they're not supposed to be habit-forming,_ he thought, shaking out three pink capsules and swallowing them. He filled the plastic cup that was sitting on the sink with water and emptied its contents in two gulps.

On legs that felt like spaghetti, Jay made his way back to the bedroom. In the softly-lit room, Jay could see another problem. The bed was in the center of the room; its position reminded Jay of the harrowing days in the garage. The chains that had bound Jay by wrists and ankles were long ones that were connected to a heavy-duty eye bolt that was secured tightly to the floor. They'd been long enough to where Jay had some freedom of movement, but not long enough for him to reach a corner or a wall where he could take refuge. Consequently, he was fully exposed to Bray and Erick's unique brand of discipline.

 _But as long as I'm close to a wall,_ Jay thought, as he approached the bed, _I'm safe._

 _Anna, I hope you're a sound sleeper._

Jay blinked, feeling a wave of drowsiness. The Benadryl was beginning to have an effect, so Jay knew he had to work quickly. The bed, although queen-sized, was not terribly heavy. Bracing his feet firmly on the floor, Jay put his hands on the side of the bed and pushed it across the floor until it was nearly flush with the wall on the right side of the room.

 _At least nobody will be able to sneak up behind me,_ he thought with wry amusement before he climbed back into bed. Wrapped up in the covers, with his back facing the wall, Jay closed his eyes and let sleep wash over him like an incoming tide...

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"One day you meet someone and for some inexplicable reason, you feel more connected to this stranger than anyone else-closer to them than your closest family. Perhaps this person carries within them an angel-one sent to you for some higher purpose; to teach you an important lesson or to keep you safe during a perilous time. What you must do is trust in them-even if they come hand in hand with pain or suffering-the reason for their presence will become clear in due time."  
-Lang Leav, Love & Misadventure _

_"Tic, toc, tic, toc, tic, toc, tic, toc... Boo! Hahahahahahaha..._

 _"I don't mean to keep hurting you like this, Jay... but how many times must you cross this burning bridge before you realize, that you're fighting a losing battle? My poison is already running through your veins. You know who we are, Jay. And before long you will finally realize what you are. Hmmm... join us!"_

 _Jay turned his head in the direction of Bray's voice. How long had he been here? A day, a week? A month perhaps? No matter. Time had lost all meaning, with hours, minutes and seconds bleeding together without any boundary or limit and becoming a huge void. Bray had stripped him of his charisma, his will to fight, his freedom... and now he was a hollow vessel, or a blank slate._

 _Bray and Erick had brought Jay to his absolute limit...and then shoved him past that. Hard. Beating, drugging, being forced to listen to the Eater of Worlds launch into a sermon about everything and anything and nothing...all of it had worked to chip away at what and who he thought he was and what he thought he held dear._

 _Jay's nose ran, and he wiped it on the sleeve of his shirt. He winced in disgust at the sharp, unpleasant smell embedded in the fabric. After wearing the shirt and pants for days on end, Jay wanted to rip the filthy garments from his body and burn them._

 _He knew his body wasn't much better either. His face was pale, haggard, bruised and covered with at least a week's worth of stubble. His lips were cracked and split, bleeding. His hair was a greasy blonde scarecrow on top of his head. The chains around his wrists and ankles left the skin beneath them scraped and raw._ If some Hollywood director needed an extra for a horror movie, _Jay thought in sour amusement,_ I'd certainly fit the bill! What I wouldn't give for some hot water and soap right now! It's a miracle I haven't gotten bitten by insects or developed an infection from all the cuts and marks on me.

 _"What if I was to tell you, that the man who made you, the man that created the persona that you hid behind for the better part of two decades, is a liar? What if I was to tell you that your friends, your fans, and even your own flesh and blood turned their backs on you? You listened to them, followed them like a mindless lemming rushing out to sea. How far have they gotten you? How far have you got listening to them? Come on, let me show you what you can be! Come on, Jay! Come on, what are you waiting for? The world is awaiting outside._

 _"I'm not like Vince, Jay. I'm not like your so-called friends who dropped you when they all grabbed that brass ring of fame and fortune. I will never turn my back on you, and maybe, just maybe, the answers you seek have been slapping you right in the face. And maybe, just maybe, I, Bray Wyatt, the Eater Of Worlds, have been the answer all along."_

 _Bray's words sounded almost hypnotic in Jay's fevered mind:_

You listened to them, followed them like a mindless lemming rushing out to sea. Come on, Jay! Come on, what are you waiting for? The world is awaiting outside.

How far have they gotten you?

How far have you got listening to them?

Come on, let me show you what you can be!

I will never turn my back on you, and maybe, just maybe, the answers you seek have been slapping you right in the face.

And maybe, just maybe, I, Bray Wyatt, the Eater Of Worlds, have been the answer all along.

I will never turn my back on you, and maybe, just maybe, the answers you seek have been slapping you right in the face. _Now that Jay had been removed from everything he'd been accustomed to, Bray's words were beginning to make sense. Yes, he had listened to his so-called friends, and yes, they'd dropped him after they'd become famous. Yes, he'd followed the masses like lemmings rushing out to sea, only to drown in the end. Yes, he gave and gave and gave to others and got nothing in return. His so-called friends took and took and took from him, leaving him with nothing._

 _And now Bray Wyatt, in his twisted way, wanted to give Jay everything. And in that moment of clarity, while chained to the floor in the middle of a cold, dark, lonely garage, Jay realized that he had nothing to lose._

 _And everything to gain, twisted as it was._

 _"You're... You're right," Jay whispered, lowering his head._

 _Bray was caught slightly off guard by Jay's unexpected admission. A grin tweaked across his lips; was his captive finally breaking? "Say it again! Say that again!"_

 _"You're right." Jay's voice sounded flat, deflated, as a cold reality began to seep through his bones. "You're right. You were always right. No matter how hard I worked, no matter how loud everyone cheered for me, you were always right. My friends, Vince... they held me down. Vince will always hold me down, no matter how loud everyone chants, no matter how hard I fight." Jay paused, and his eyes narrowed in bitterness. "They've shouted my name in every venue I've ever been to, they've sung my praises time and again, and Vince doesn't give a fuck. Everything I've done, every drop of blood and sweat and tears, every injury, every word, everything...it don't mean jack to him."_

 _Bray carded his fingers through his captive's lank hair. His voice was soft. "I see you for what you really are, but Vince and everyone else, they look at you like you're some broken-down horse on its way to the glue factory. I see you as a catalyst. An agent of change. An angel in the dirt. A monster like me, afraid of nothing and nobody. Together, you and I and my brothers and sisters, we can tear the walls off of this place. Together, we can bring the machine to its knees, Jay."_

 _Jay, who was still lying on the cold floor, lifted his head to meet Bray's intense gaze. "I have nothing left, Bray. I'm yours. I hurt. My body hurts. My soul hurts. Everything hurts." Jay paused, and then he licked his cracked and pale lips, tasting blood on his tongue. When he spoke again, he sounded almost like a little lost boy. "I don't wanna hurt no more. I don't wanna fight anymore. I just wanna come home. I'm yours."_

 _Bray pulled a key out of the front pocket of his pants and undid the lock that attached the chains dangling from Jay's wrists and ankles to the bolt in the floor. A sigh escaped Jay's lips as he brought his hands and knees to his chest._

 _The Eater of Worlds stretched his hand out, beaming like a proud papa. "I always have a home for you, Jay."_

 _Jay reached out with his own hand, intending to grasp the hand of Eater of Worlds. But at the last second, Bray jerked his hand away and kicked Jay in the ribs, sending the captured blonde toppling sideways onto the cold concrete floor. He stepped back several feet and spread his arms out to the side, like a crucifix. "Not so fast. I wanna be sure you're serious about this, and you're not just blowing smoke up my ass. Cause if I find out you're lying, Jay, your suffering will be LEGENDARY! And don't think I won't figure it out, because I will. So, you wanna join us, be one of us?"_

 _Bray paused, and watched Jay nod his head. "That's not good enough. I wanna hear you say the words, Jay. Do you wanna join us? Do you wanna be one of us?"_

 _An excruciating silence passed, and then Jay met his captor's fierce blue gaze while he struggled to his knees. Anyplace—anything—would be better than the hell he was locked in at the moment. He just wanted the pain to go away, and wanted the punishment to stop. "I thought I already was one of you."_

 _"Then you better start crawling. Crawl, Jay! C'mon! Crawl!"_

 _Jay half-crawled, half dragged himself forward slowly, laboriously, on his stomach and elbows in a combat crawl, his breath coming in pants and grunts, punctuated here and there by tiny whimpers of pain. His abused body screamed in agony, the chains behind him dragging and jangling quietly. Bray stood only ten feet away from him, but to Jay, he was miles away. "Is this what you want?" Bray shouted, in an odd form of encouragement. "Is this what you desire? I will give it to you. You wanna become one of us, Jay? Well, I'm right here waiting! I'm right here waiting! Come and get in! I'm right here! Come on. You're waiting! What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, JAY? COME ON!"_

 _It took some time, but eventually, the beaten blonde managed to reach Bray, and he grabbed a handful of Bray's pants to pull himself up to his knees. His broken blue gaze locked with Bray's as he held his own arms out to the side. Bray crouched down and wrapped his arm around Jay's chest. Jay was aware of big fingers brushing aside a greasy lock of his hair._

 _"Welcome to the family, Jay," Bray told him, kissing his forehead._

 _Before Jay was able to register anything else, he felt his back slam hard against the cold floor once again. The breath rushed out of his body and stars spattered his vision, making the figures of Bray and Erick looming above him almost sparkle. He would have giggled if the situation wasn't so dire and if the wind hadn't been knocked out of him._

 _It occurred to Jay that Bray had used his finishing move on him, and on a cold garage floor no less. A groan escaped Jay's lips as a new pain bloomed in his back like a big, ugly flower and spread through his limbs and joints. As he lay there, staring up at the ceiling, he felt something dissolve inside him like salt dissolving in water. It took a moment for him to realize that it was what was left of his will to fight._

 _Bray sunk to his knees and gripped Jay's hand. "This is forever," he barked. "This is going to change everything."_

 _Jay nodded faintly. "Forever," he whispered back, past the point of caring._

 _"So, pop quiz. Who do you belong to."_

 _Jay parted his lips, his voice sounding strange, hollow. "...You...I'm yours."_

 _"Good boy. And what are you? I just told you a few minutes ago, and I'm sure your memory isn't so short that you haven't already forgotten it."_

 _"I'm a catalyst," Jay whispered. Bray's poison was spreading, slowly, sweetly through his veins, slipping seductively through every molecule of his body and changing everything it touched. "An agent of change. An angel in the dirt. A monster like you."_

 _"Good. Next question. Where do you live?"_

 _"I live here," Jay answered. It felt like he was not in his body, and he was watching and listening to someone who looked and sounded like him. "This is my home."_

 _"Next one. What do you do when I'm around?"_

 _"Obey."_

 _A radiant smile spread across Bray's face, making him look like the twisted angel that he was. "Now you understand, Jay. I did what I had to do so that you could be reborn into who you are meant to be." Bray smoothed the disheveled blonde hair from Jay's forehead. "You're one of us, now. You're right where you belong. Welcome home."_

 _"Obey...obey..." Jay's voice was a whisper as he felt himself drift away. As he did, he heard Bray sing the chorus of something that sounded at that moment like a lullaby:_

"There's a place in the meadow,  
a place you can hide.  
Walk with the reaper,  
leave this world behind..."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: *Gives Jay muse a hug and some warm milk* I think the sooner he deals with the after-effects of his captivity, the better. How do you expect him to be a catalyst and an agent of change if he can't look after himself properly?**

 **Wasn't too sure about that final scene between Jay and Bray in the garage; it was too short for a full chapter, so I figured that it would be another flashback/dream sequence. I know there's been quite a few of them, as well as POV changes, and I hope I haven't confused any of my readers.**

 **In the next story, Jay and his "family" reunite, and he remembers when he finally saw the light...sort of.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	7. Heal Me: Chapter One

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This is Book Two of my** ** _Angel In The Dirt_** **series, featuring Jay (Christian) and the Wyatts. Book One was from Jay's perspective. Book Two will be from Luke's perspective.**

 **Starting Chapter Two, this will be told in flashback format. Thought it would be easier for the readers to follow this story as a flashback, as opposed to bouncing back and forth between past and present.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Not mine (except for Anna and the Pollard family as I envision them). This series is inspired by and based on the Jay/Luke one shot series by theytalktome, AKA valiumforaviper on DeviantArt Concepts are used with permission from the author/artist. Promos, sermons, etc. are courtesy of cagematch dot net, and other sources that I'll be happy to cite if necessary.**

 **A** ** _ngel In The Dirt, Book Two: Heal Me  
By Debwood-1999_**

 ** _Heal Me: Chapter One_**

" _I won't give up on you; even if I have to knock all the doors around the world to find you."_  
― _M.F. Moonzajer_

 _From the moment I first lay my eyes on Jay Reso, I knew he was perfect. He was tall, gangly, with long spindly legs that reminded one of a praying mantis. He had a sharply featured face and what looked like a perpetual smirk on his lips. His blonde hair always looked like it needed a good comb through, and the sparkle in his blue eyes made him look like he was always up to some mischief._

 _Yeah, maybe the individual parts weren't entirely attractive...but put them all together, and you have something beautiful and special._

 _Yeah, Jay was perfect all right. But I'd later learn that his perfect exterior hid some dark secrets. Jealousy. Anger. Pain. Resentment. Depression. Hopelessness. The world had beaten him down over the years, leaving him desperate and suicidal._

 _Jay's career in the WWE had stagnated, which pulled him away from the people he'd been friends with for years. It was only when Bray and Erick and I took him in that he finally faced—kicking and screaming at first-his jealousy and anger and depression. Of course Bray's methods were brutal and unconventional, but they worked. When it was all over, Jay finally saw the light._

 _Bray had his own reasons for wanting Jay as well. His in-ring skills and experience would help us compete and dominate the WWE. Out of the ring, Bray thought that he could help spread the Word, not just to the other WWE Superstars, but to everyone else. On a good day, Bray knew that Jay could attract people to him like iron filings to a magnet. If he could draw people to him like that in the WWE, imagine what he could do outside the ring to spread Bray's message! So, we made the decision. Jay had to become part of the Wyatt Family for things to fall into place._

 _But before any of that could happen, we had to save Jay from himself._

 _Long story short...we did. If we hadn't taken Jay from the arena in Baltimore last July, I'd be writing a whole different story._

 _Jay's story was all about being broken down._

 _My story is about how I helped put him back together._

~~~ANGEL~~~

"He moved the bed right up against the wall of your bedroom," Anna said bluntly, as she picked up her coffee cup.

"How could you tell?" Luke snorted, an amused twinkle in his eyes. "You can sleep through a hurricane."

"Heard it last night. I was still up reading." Anna took a sip out of her cup. "You know I can't go to bed right after I come home from work. Anyway, I heard him rush down the hall to the bathroom I guess, and then he went back to your room. Next thing I know, I hear something being dragged across the floor. Then it was quiet for a while, until you guys came home." She paused. "And speaking of coming home, I guess you all found the chicken salad I left for you. I was hoping there'd be an off-chance that there'd be some left for me to take to work tonight."

"Next time, make a bigger batch," Luke fired back, a sparkle in his eyes. "You know how much we all eat. And with Jay here permanently, you'll need to _really_ step it up."

"These are the times that I'm glad I was a short-order cook," Anna said, picking her spoon up and digging into her breakfast.

She and Luke sat at the kitchen table, eating hot cereal with cream and brown sugar and cinnamon, and drinking hot coffee strong enough to take rust off a nail. It was going to be a rather busy day for Anna; she was taking Bina to the Laundromat over in Crowley to help wash everyone's clothes, and then the two of them would go grocery shopping. After that, the two of them, along with Jay (who was still asleep at the moment), would start planning the compound's vegetable garden. Jimmy and Frank had already headed off to school. Roselle and Violet were at their respective jobs, and Erick, Luke and Bray were going to rest and enjoy their brief time off before heading back out onto the road.

"So how's Bina?" Luke asked, spooning up the last few bits of cereal out of his bowl. "She still thinks everyone's an angel?"

Anna giggled. "Of course. I'd think something was wrong with her if she _didn't._ Try convincing her that Jay's not a real live angel," she continued, as Luke chuckled in amusement. "Jay said she was gushing after he held her hand in Walmart on the way back here."

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their breakfast. Finally, Anna rose from her chair and took her spoon and bowl over to the sink to wash. "So," she ventured cautiously. "How did you and Jay meet exactly? Jay gave me a rather cryptic answer yesterday. I mean no offense, but you don't seem like his type."

"Your sister didn't seem like Bray's type, and she married him anyhow."

"Touché," Anna admitted, as she washed her dishes and set them on the dish rack to dry. "That's a very good point. But back to my question. How'd you and Jay meet? He gave me an odd answer about it being complicated. And rather than shut me up, it's made me more curious. Maybe I can get a few answers from you. Maybe not."

"Well..." Luke pondered for a moment. "Let's just say that underneath the smiling exterior lies a broken heart and a few dark secrets. If I hadn't encountered Jay when I did...well, it _is_ complicated. And maybe it's best that you don't try to pry anything out of him right now. If he wants to tell you the story, let him make the first move. If he's comfortable, he'll tell you..."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I asked theytalktome in a chat conversation where she got the inspiration for her one-shots. Apparently, she likes the idea of pairing a big, dark, strapping guy with a leggy blonde, and Luke and Jay/Christian fit the bill, especially after his match against Kane on Monday Night Raw on 7/8/13, when the Wyatts pounced on Kane.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	8. Heal Me: Chapter Two

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: The flashback is going to start now. Not much to say concerning that.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One.**

 _ **Heal Me: Chapter Two**_

" _The best relationships in our lives are the best not because they have been the happiest ones, they are that way because they have stayed strong through the most tormentful of storms."_  
― _Pandora Poikilos, Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out_

 _"As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation - either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course."_  
 _― Martin Luther King Jr._

" _...when you are sick, you should not seek to doctors and the wisdom of the world, but rather you should exercise faith in me and minister one to another, and with wisdom use herbs and fruit and mild food and tender care that you might be healed-"_

It was the bloodcurdling scream that made Luke snap to attention.

He'd been reading through _The Golden Seven Plus One_ when he'd heard the scream from way in the distance; the noise had startled Luke so thoroughly that he'd knocked over his chair and dropped his book. Cursing under his breath, Luke set his book and study notes back and set his chair back up before daring to gaze out the window.

Bray and Erick were making their way back to the house down the gravel road that ran through the property. Erick, his face concealed by the sheep's mask, had something slung over his broad shoulders. From a distance, it looked like a bag of laundry or a sack of potatoes, but as Erick and Bray drew closer, Luke could see more details. A glimpse of matted blonde hair. Torn and dirty clothing. Long chains dangling and dragging on the ground...

It didn't take Luke long to figure out what—or who—Erick was carrying back to the house. _Jay! What have they done to him?_ From the looks of things, Bray and Erick had seen fit to beat the older blonde into submission.

Luke turned away from the window and sat down on his bed, heart thundering in anticipation and fear. Bray's reassurances rang in his head: _We all know that's he's more important to this world than he thinks. Luke, Jay is destined for something special. I knew that the moment I first laid eyes on him, but he doesn't know it. He refuses to see it. It's gonna take some time, but when I finish, he will have no doubt in his mind. And you'll have his undying love and devotion and respect as well. But you have to trust me. Do you trust me, Luke?_

Luke wanted Jay for his own so badly, that he had no other option _but_ to trust Bray. So, he did what he was told for the past week or so; he stayed in prayer, studied the Word and listened to the Eater Of Worlds as he preached.

 _Please let Jay be alright. Please let him be okay!_ Luke prayed silently, as he heard the front door open and heavy footsteps clomp up the stairs and approach his room. His mind raced. He'd missed Jay so badly the past several days that he absolutely _had_ to see him...but at the same time, he feared what had been done to the older blonde and really didn't want to.

"Luke?" The familiar voice that reached his ears was like dark chocolate. Smooth and sweet, but with a bite. "There's someone here I think you'll be happy to see again." Bray sounded almost like a proud father as he nudged open Luke's bedroom door.

Luke heard shuffling footsteps and the familiar jangle of chains. Slowly, he turned around and was stunned and horrified by what he saw. His voice got stuck in his throat, and he had to choke it out. "Jay?"

Jay wobbled in the doorway, flanked by Bray and Erick. He looked a scarecrow that had been battered by the elements for months. He was unshaven, his face was bruised, and his lips were split. The chains that dangled from his wrists and ankles concealed what looked like raw and abraded skin. His once bright blue eyes looked dull and colorless, and his tousled blonde hair was tangled and greasy.

Jay slowly lifted his head, and Luke shuddered at the lack of depth in his lover-to-be's eyes. Something else about Jay's eyes left him unnerved as well. _What's wrong with his eyes?_ Luke wondered in shock. _Why are they darting around like that? Why won't they focus?_

The expression on Jay's face was blank, yet frightened. "Luke?" he whispered, his words faint and raspy.

And that's when Jay collapsed. He'd barely been able to hold himself upright; the chains dangling from his limbs dragged him down and, too weak to support himself, he slumped against the doorjamb and slid to the floor, his body becoming deadweight as he struck the hardwood with a sickening thud. The chains attached to him clattered to the floor as well, jangling like a disjointed chorus of bells.

Bray quietly removed a key from the pocket of his pants and unlocked the chains binding the semiconscious blonde. He smiled up at his First Son. "You won't have to worry about him running off now. He's all yours."

Luke climbed off the bed and fell to his knees in front of the broken man he'd wanted as his own from the moment he'd first saw him. Jay managed to rouse himself, twitching visibly. He didn't even flinch as Luke placed a big hand under his chin to lift his head. If Jay could see the look of horror on the face of Bray's First Son, it didn't register.

" _What have you done to him?!"_ Luke demanded, the softness in his voice a stark contrast to the rage and shock that was cascading through him.

"He needed to learn that I don't tolerate disrespect," Bray explained, simply. "It took some time, and some effort, but now he knows never to talk back. He knows now that this is his home. He knows to listen now, he knows to understand what I teach, and he knows to respect and obey me."

Luke studied Jay's blank expression, desperate to find a spark of life, of charisma, of _anything_ that reminded him why he was drawn to the blonde in the first place. "You promised me that you'd help me win him over and make him love me."

"And I did, Luke. You now have his undying affection and love." Bray smiled. "Finally, you have what you wanted. He's your reward for your loyalty and hard work." He paused thoughtfully and clapped a big hand on Luke's shoulder. "I'll leave now. The two of you need some privacy so you can reconnect." With that, Bray turned and slipped quietly out of Luke's room, closing the door behind him.

Luke waited until Bray's footsteps clomped downstairs before he picked his broken angel up bridal style and carried him to his bed. His heart was an aching wasteland as he surveyed the damage that Bray and Erick had inflicted upon Jay's body.

The First Son sat down, with Jay cradled in his lap, and he brushed a stray lock of hair from Jay's forehead. That seemed to rouse the fallen blonde a little more, and his pale lips quivered. "I'm so sorry," Luke whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I promised you that they wouldn't harm you, and..." A lump rose in Luke's throat, and he forced himself to swallow it down. "I fucking failed you, Jay. I just wanted someone who'd love me. The last thing I wanted was Bray and Erick breaking you like this. You didn't deserve this, you _don't_ deserve this, no matter what you did."

Jay's eyes darted around, vacant and unfocused. Finally, his lips parted, and he spoke:

"Luke...Luke, where am I?"

"You're back in the house. Bray and Erick brought you back to my room," he said, gently, trying to coax the broken man into following his gaze. "C'mon, Jay. Focus. Look at me."

Jay shook his head. The next two words he uttered shook Luke to his very bones:

"I can't."

Luke smoothed the disheveled hair from Jay's forehead. "What do you mean, you can't?" he asked gently.

"Bray and Erick dragged me out of that God-forsaken garage," Jay managed, his voice weak. "The place was so dark...I just wanted to look around, and I wasn't thinking...I glanced up, and I looked right at the sun. There was a huge flash of light. It felt like a white-hot dagger sliding through my skull." A pause, and then Jay's face scrunched up in pain. "It hurt so bad. Now it's like there's a huge black cloud dropped in front of my face. I can see maybe a few shadows, but that's it." Another pause. "I'm blind, Luke."

Luke's heart sank. His would-be lover was beaten, weak, and at the moment, as helpless as an infant. He felt anger boil up inside of him, but it wasn't directed towards Jay. "Bray didn't have to do this to you!" he spat. "How dare he!" He took a slow, shaky breath. "I'd snap him in half if given a chance, but he probably thinks he did nothing wrong." A pause, and then Luke's voice softened. "Jay, you know how I feel about you. And someone once told me that love means seeing someone when they're at their absolute worst, at their lowest and darkest and weakest, and staying with them anyway. I'm staying with you as long as it takes to bring you back. I'll take care of you as best I can. I won't push you into anything you don't want. I won't hurt you, and I won't let Bray or Erick hurt you again. But you absolutely have to trust me, because right now you _don't_ have a choice. _Do you trust me, Jay?"_

The silence that followed was excruciating, and for a moment, Luke thought that Jay had slipped back into the unresponsive state he'd been in when he fell to the floor. But then, Jay nodded. His voice was barely above a whisper. "I trust you."

Luke dared to smile at his fallen angel. "Alright. Let's get you washed up. You'll feel a thousand times better once we get that dirt and grime and whatever else off of you, and once we get some food in your stomach. You're skinny as a rail." He paused. "You think you can walk?"

"I can barely raise my head, let alone get up and walk," Jay groaned as Luke climbed off the bed, Jay in his arms. The weary blonde sighed and rested his head on Luke's massive chest.

In the bathroom, Jay sat quietly on the closed toilet seat as Luke drew a bath for him. He didn't fight or struggle as Luke helped him undress. In fact, he almost looked ecstatic as his clothing was removed.

"Get rid of these clothes," he said to Luke. "Burn them, bury them, throw them away. I don't want them anywhere near me." He paused. "I have no clue what I look like right now, I suspect I look as bad as I feel. Maybe it's best that I can't see myself for a while, huh?"

As he removed Jay's clothing—first his pants, then his shirt, then his unmentionables—Luke took a visual inventory of the damage inflicted upon the shattered man. A gasp escaped Luke's lips. "Good Lord, Jay. What did Bray and Erick do to you?"

"I got a whuppin'. I was mouthy and disobedient," Jay shrugged, the tone of his voice sounding like he was merely talking about the weather. "So they punished me."

"This is more like torture, Jay." There were bruises on Jay's legs and ribcage, and choke marks on his throat. His wrists and ankles were scraped and abraded all to hell from the chains that had circled them. The bruises and cuts on Jay's face were in various stages of healing. There were even lash marks on his back. Granted most of them had scabbed over and were healing, but that wasn't the point. The point was that Jay had been _whipped_ like some defenseless animal. Eater of Worlds or not, Luke was going to find Bray and pummel him, along with Erick, into bloody smears on the wall after he was finished taking care of Jay.

He added a nice sized amount of liquid soap to the bathwater—it was nothing fancy, but it would do nicely—and then lifted and placed Jay into the hot soapy water like he was a small child. A slow sigh of relief escaped Jay's lips as he felt the water touch his skin, and he lay back against the edge of the tub.

"Water's not too hot, is it?"

"No." Was there the faintest hint of a smile on Jay's lips? "It feels good. And what'd you put in the water? I smell oranges."

"Castile soap. Has tons of uses," Luke shrugged before he picked up a clean washrag and began the arduous task of bathing the weary blonde. If he was bothered by the fact that he was naked, blind, and being bathed by one of his captors, Jay didn't seem to let on. He just accepted it as part of his new existence. Little whimpers of relief escaped his lips as the overwhelming stench of the garage faded from his body and the hot water eased the physical pain.

"Got a huge bottle of it on sale at Walmart," Luke explained, as he ran the soapy rag across Jay's back as gently as possible so as not to cause the beaten blonde any further discomfort. "I'll give you one of my old shirts to sleep in. I'll go into town tomorrow and pick up some other things for you to wear. Until then, you'll have to make do."

"You shop at Walmart?" Jay's voice, though weak, sounded surprised.

"There's one over in Crowley. There's a few dollar stores there, too. Crowley's the closest town in these parts. And I'm the one who usually does the shopping." Luke paused while he wrung out the washrag and soaped it up again. "Hey, we're not in the boonies. Just a few miles from the city limits." He heard an odd sound and realized that it was Jay snickering. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry," Jay was trying to hold in his giggles, but failed epically. "I've got some weird images in my head right now. The thought of you pushing a shopping cart is just too amusing."

Luke had to chuckle at that. The fact that Jay had found something to laugh about, even at his lowest and most vulnerable point, gave Luke an odd sort of comfort. It reassured him to know that the Jay he'd fallen for-the charming, charismatic, sharp-tongued one-was still there. Damaged, yes. But still there.

"Luke?" Jay asked, cautiously, after a brief silence. "What's today's date?"

"Does it really matter?"

"It does to me. I wanna know how long Bray kept me."

Luke hesitated, his heart beginning to race. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Please," Jay pressed on, his voice soft but imploring. "I live here, Luke. I'm not gonna panic or freak out. I just wanna know. How long was I out there?" When Luke refused to answer, Jay snapped, " _How long was I out there?!"_

Luke, startled by the volume and tone of Jay's voice, stared down at the floor to compose himself before he spoke. "Bray took you to the garage July 23rd. It's July 31st. You were out there eight days."

"Eight days," Jay whispered, convincing himself. "I was out there _eight days?"_

"Yeah."

Jay sniffled, and tears leaked from his sightless eyes. He said something beneath his breath that Luke could only catch wisps of.

"Jay." Luke drew closer. "Talk to me, Jay. What'd you just say?"

"This was my fault. It's my punishment for me being so disrespectful. I wouldn't have been out there _eight minutes_ if I hadn't been so mouthy-"

"Jay, don't talk like that-"

"No, Luke." Jay interrupted him. "It's true. Bray's just trying to set me straight and teach me, and I refused to listen to him. I deserve this. This is my fault," he warbled before falling silent. Luke sighed. As far as Jay was concerned, he'd brought this suffering upon himself, and nothing Luke could say or do would convince him otherwise. It made his heart ache.

Seeing Jay like this made Luke think of one of Bray's sermons: _You're not perfect. Not at all! None of us are, in fact. We're no better than the prostitutes out on the street, no better than the homeless people. That's why I have to do this. That's what I have to teach you, and the rest of the masses. We're no better than any trash on the street. And remember this: the Bible says that before you can rise above all these things, you have to descend below them all. You have to experience everything. That's why I'm doing this. You have to sink to the lowest level before you're cleansed._

It took the better part of an hour, as well as a change of bathwater, but Luke managed to wash away all of the dirt and grime from the garage where Jay had been disciplined/tortured from hair and skin. Luke found a razor and shaved Jay's face as best he could. He was even able to find a new toothbrush so that he could help Jay brush his teeth. All the while, Luke kept up a steady stream of soft talk, speaking about anything and everything and nothing. It seemed to soothe Jay, and the exhausted blonde relaxed as much as he could without falling asleep.

Once Jay was out of the tub and dried off, Luke helped him into one of his shirts. It was a black t-shirt, old and faded but clean; on Jay it was enormous. It came down to his knees and hung on him like a trash bag, but at least he was covered. Then, Luke picked him up again and carried him back into his bedroom. Jay sighed and curled into the arms of the larger man, wrapping his arms around the behemoth's neck. That gesture, small as it looked, warmed Luke's heart.

Jay eventually said something, but it was muffled against the red flannel of Luke's shirt.

Luke glanced down at the weary blonde. "What was that?"

Jay inhaled deeply through his nose. "You smell good."

"I don't think I smell _that_ good," Luke chuckled as he gently placed Jay on the bed.

"I think you do," Jay sighed in return. "It's comforting." He was aware of retreating footsteps. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna get some stuff to doctor the scrapes on your wrists and ankles. I'll be right back."

Luke ducked back into the bathroom. After a few minutes, he lumbered back to his room with another clean washrag, cotton balls, a roll of gauze, a roll of bandages, a nice-sized tube of antiseptic cream and a bottle of rubbing alcohol; these items he managed to hold in the crook of his massive arm. He balanced a basin full of warm water in his free hand. He set these items down on the nightstand and helped Jay sit up in bed before pulling up his chair and dampening the washrag.

"The marks on your face should heal by themselves," Luke said, as he took one of Jay's scraped-up wrists in his massive hand. "The scrapes on your ankles and wrists...that's another story. I'll get these as clean as possible," he continued, running the damp rag across the wounds. "Then I'll bandage them up. Now I'm gonna put some alcohol on this and clean it up a little further, and I warn you. This may hurt."

"Won't hurt any more than what I've already gone through," Jay assured his caretaker, before he winced. "Ow!" Jay's sightless eyes squeezed shut, and some more tears trundled down his cheeks. "I'll have to go through this three more times, won't I?"

"It'll be over soon. I promise." After swabbing alcohol across the scrapes on Jay's wrist, Luke spread a generous layer of the antiseptic cream across the damaged skin, and then wrapped the treated wrist with the gauze, and the bandages. He treated Jay's other wrist, and then helped Jay lie back so that he could treat the beaten man's ankles.

"You have a light touch," Jay murmured, as he folded his arms across his stomach.

"I don't think I've ever heard anyone say I have a light touch." Luke chuckled softly, as he gathered his things. "I'm trying my hardest not to hurt you any more than you've already been hurt."

Jay dared to let a grin cross his face. "I don't think you _could_ hurt me. Even when I was all wrapped up in chains, you never did. Now, here I am, blind, beat up and defenseless. You had every opportunity to harm me then, and you have every opportunity to harm me now, and yet you haven't."

"Like I said. I don't wanna push you into anything you don't wanna do. And those chains were put on you for a reason."

Jay nodded. "I know that now. I was never in any danger, Luke. The only danger I was in was the one I got into myself because of my big mouth and my bad attitude."

"Jay, don't go talking like that-"

"It's true." Jay's voice, while soft, was full of conviction. "I know it. You know it. Bray knows it. Hell, even Erick knows it, although he won't say it." He paused. "I'm supposed to be like Bray. A creator. Someone who brings change, who unites the masses and brings down the fist and changes the world. And I'm supposed to be an angel in the dirt, like him." A wry chuckle escaped Jay's lips. "Funny thing is, I don't feel very angelic. I probably don't look very angelic either. And how can I possibly bring down the fist and change the world if I can't see my hand in front of my face?"

"Changing the world is the last thing you need to worry about," Luke assured Jay, pulling the bed covers up around the tired blonde's shoulders. "You have more important matters to take care of. Now, get some rest."

Jay nodded. "I will. Thank you Luke," he managed, before he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Luke nodded, an unexpected lump rising in his throat. He watched Jay sleep for a while, wondering what to do next. There was no way in Hell he was going to cast Jay aside, not after all the effort that he and Bray and Erick had put forth to capture him. And he certainly wasn't going to cast him aside now.

He carded his big fingers through Jay's hair (it was longer now, and somehow it suited him better), and then bent down to kiss Jay on the forehead, the way a father would kiss his little boy at night. He inhaled the faintly soapy scent of the bath, which mingled with the pleasantly lingering bite of the citrusy castile soap he'd shampooed Jay's hair with, and the slightly cool edge of peppermint toothpaste. "I love you, Jay," he whispered. "And I'm gonna fix you and bring you back. I'm in this for the long haul. And I won't let you down again. I promise."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I had planned to make Jay catatonic in this story, but I think him being blind works better, because now he's going to HAVE to trust Luke to take care of him. And it works better with Luke's philosophy about love as seeing someone at their absolute LOWEST and WORST, and still being there. And poor Jay blaming himself for his predicament. Granted, Jay was being a mouthy little brat, but Bray really DIDN'T have to punish him like he did.**

 **BTW, if the chapter sounds familiar, this is because much of it is from an earlier work of mine called** ** _Broken Angel,_** **which was inspired by and based on** ** _In The Beginning_** **by theytalktome. I cannot stress this enough, especially after listening to an excellent podcast by Rhiannamator and Natalie. I got permission from the author/artist/etc. to use their respective works.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	9. Heal Me: Chapter Three

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: If you're wondering what happened to Jay's house, his cats, etc, during his captivity, that will be addressed this chapter.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One (I'm not typing the disclaimers out again) The dream sequence is based upon Chapter 24 of** ** _I Never Promised You A Rose Garden,_** **by Joanne Greenburg. I thought it was appropriate for Jay's situation.**

 ** _Heal Me: Chapter Three_**

" _I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory."  
-1 Peter 1:7, The Message_

The image of Jay in his bedroom doorway, disheveled, bruised and blind, kindled Luke's anger and guilt as he stormed out of the house and stomped off the porch in search of Bray and Erick. If he couldn't protect Jay from Bray's unique brand of discipline, he'd reasoned, then he could sure as hell avenge him.

Luke found Bray and Erick (who didn't have his mask on) near the old hay barn, trying to fix a riding lawn mower so that they could cut some of the overgrown grass around the property. The two of them were in quiet conversation as they worked. He was on them in three huge strides, and he grabbed Erick by the collar of his blue coveralls and yanked him to his feet. Erick spun around in surprise, and was greeted by a hamlike fist to the jaw before he could so much as blink.

"HEY!" Bray sprang to his feet and stepped between Luke and the fallen Erick, who was now nursing a sore chin and jaw. He gave his First Son a good hard shove and threw him a look that could break glass. "What was _that_ for?!"

"I think you know," Luke snarled. "How could you hurt Jay like that?"

Erick shook his head and blinked. "I didn't hurt him!" he exclaimed in his defense.

"Yeah, but you let Bray hurt him, Erick!" Luke paused and aimed his wrath at Bray. "And how could you, as a man of God, beat Jay like you did?"

"I did what I had to do to kill his old life," Bray fired back, unrepentant. "He has so much to give this world. I had to make him a blank slate so that he can completely understand my message and spread it to the masses. What did you think I was going to do, Luke? Read him fairy tales? Take him to Daddy's house and roll him down a field full of daisies?"

Erick climbed to his feet slowly. "If Bray didn't put Jay in chains and punish him, he would be DEAD right now!"

 _If Bray didn't put Jay in chains and punish him, he would be DEAD right now!_ The words echoed in Luke's head like a gong and gave him pause. When Erick spoke, it was for a good reason, and with a good point in mind. In the back of his mind, Luke knew that Erick had a point. And the point was that Jay would have taken his own life at the first opportunity if he hadn't been captured.

Luke stared at Bray and Erick in disbelief. "But whipping him like a dog? What was the point?"

"The point is that there'd be no happy ending for him or us if we kept doing what we were doing. Erick and I had to take Jay to the absolute limit of what he could endure, and then shove him past it. He had to be purged and cleansed from everything that's poisoned him."

"And if he'd just gotten with the program from the very beginning," Erick pointed out, "Then we never would have had to drag him into the garage. All the pain and suffering he's gone through...he brought it all on himself, Luke. He was gonna jump out of a window the night we took him, or maybe you've decided to gloss over that little detail."

"I haven't glossed over a damn thing. I KNOW what he was planning the night we took him," Luke fired back. "But neither of you realize what you've done to him. He's blind, you two! BLIND!"

"Blind?" Bray's eyes widened in concern.

"Yeah. Jay is blind," Luke reiterated. He paused, and then continued. "And not just spiritually, it's physical and it's literal. He can't see a damn thing. That's why he was glancing around my room and not looking at anything when you brought him in."

The silence that followed was almost sentient, and thick enough to slice. Luke paced in fury, Erick continued to nurse his bruised jaw, and Bray was trying to process this newest development.

After what felt like hours (it really was just two or three minutes), Luke fixed his angry dark gaze on Bray and continued. "You and Erick had better hope and pray that Jay gets his eyesight back, because if he doesn't, then we're gonna have a _huge_ mess on our hands, not just with him, but with Vince McMahon, and possibly the authorities. It doesn't matter what our intentions were, or what the outcome might be. What we did was against the law. We _kidnapped_ Jay. We _held him hostage and we beat him!_ And if we don't mind our P's and Q's from here on out, then we could be arrested and charged for kidnapping and assault! And you can forget about Jay helping to spread your message, Bray, because there won't be a message to spread once we get thrown in jail for the rest of our lives!"

"We weren't gonna let Jay do something so selfish as to end his own life," Bray answered back; obviously, he was choosing his words carefully. "If he did that, _you'd_ never forgive Erick and me. I'm sorry you don't agree with our methods, but Erick and I did what we had to do to save Jay from himself. And if that involved wrapping him in chains and beating him to a pulp, then that's what we had to do. And as far as the blindness goes...you have to trust the Lord and move closer to Him, and trust that He's going to see Jay through this. If Jay gets his eyesight back, then it's because of His will. If he doesn't, then we'll cross that bridge when we get there. And as far as the authorities go...there's no way in Hell that Jay's gonna report us now. He has nothing to go back to. He knows that now. This is his home, and his life now."

"You're forgetting something," Luke interjected. "His home in Florida. His cats. Whatever else he has down there. How's Jay gonna be able to settle those affairs when he can't even take care of himself?"

"Bray got on the phone with the woman who watches Jay's house while he's on the road," Erick explained. "It was before the night we took him out of Baltimore. Gave her some cover story about Jay falling ill and being in the hospital for an extended length of time. She's agreed to watch Jay's home and his cats for as long as necessary."

"Does Jay really believe that he has nothing to go back to?" Luke questioned. "Or are you guys saying that because he's so broken that he can't think for himself anymore?"

Bray placed a big hand on Luke's shoulder and fixed his fierce blue gaze on the First Son. "Luke, Jay's not broken. He's completely lucid. He knows that eventually, he'll need to settle his affairs. But that's neither here nor there at the moment. So for now, stay in prayer, pray that the Lord's will be done, not yours, not mine, and not Jay's. Stay close to the Lord. Take care of Jay and don't lose faith. You have to have faith that He's gonna work all of this out."

Bray paused, and then his tone became philosophical. "Luke, perhaps Jay's blind for a reason, as a way for you both to draw closer to each other. This could be the best way to show Jay how much you love him, by taking care of him when he's at his most helpless. And besides, part of love is seeing someone at their absolute worst, at their lowest and least, and STILL being there for them. _You_ were the one who actually told _me_ that, after Abigail died."

Luke nodded, bewildered. He'd come out to pummel Bray and Erick within an inch of their lives for their violence towards his beat-up angel. Now, he was agreeing with them. It didn't make sense, but then again, many things in life didn't make sense. "Alright. I'll trust Him. I still don't understand why you felt the need to hurt Jay like you did. But I know you did it for his own good. But if you or Erick so much as raise another hand to him again like you did, Eater Of Worlds or not, then I will beat _both_ of you to a pulp. And that isn't a threat. That's a promise..."

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _The dream began in the garage where he had been locked up. Jay was curled up in a ball in the middle of the floor, familiar chains dangling from his wrists and ankles. He glanced up, and his eyes widened in surprise. There was a door there, that he hadn't noticed before. It was open slightly, and Jay could see a sliver of light peeking through._

 _Something in Jay's mind told him to get up and go outside. He hesitated. What if Bray or Erick was outside anticipating his next move, and planning his punishment? And what if he was still secured to the floor?_

 _What if...no._

 _He couldn't hesitate. He had to try._

 _Jay staggered to his feet, surprised that the chains weren't secured to the eye bolt like they normally were in this God-awful place._

I can do this! _he thought in shock, the sudden awareness galvanizing him. Cautiously, Jay made his way across the floor, the chains dragging and jangling like they normally did, but he was unaware of the sound._

 _He nudged open the garage door and stepped outside to a bleak landscape. Jay could recognize the assorted buildings as those on the Wyatt compound, but in the middle of the night, they looked very different. The cold moonlight painted the scenery and buildings a pale gray and pearly white. The sky was a soul-sucking black color, strewn with deep gray clouds that shifted and parted like curtains, and speckled with tiny stars that didn't twinkle, but stared down like millions of disapproving eyes. The air was cold enough to chill one's breath. And it was the middle of summer, right? So why was there_ snow _on the ground?_

 _Jay glanced up at the leaden winter sky. The thick gray clouds parted, and a giant hand emerged. It was a man's hand, clenched in a tight fist. The hand opened, revealing several pieces of coal, as black as the sky the hand had emerged from. Jay watched as the hand slowly closed around the black rocks and began to squeeze. He became fascinated as the hand began to glow with a white heat._

 _It was subtle at first, an unexpected pressure that Jay could feel in his arms and legs. Then, the pressure increased, and the white light glowed even brighter. Jay was suddenly aware of a crushing weight on his entire being. Every inch of him, from his head to the bottoms of his feet, was abruptly gripped in an unbreakable vice. The white light became blinding._

 _It was like staring into the heart of the sun._

 _Jay screamed and fell to the ground; the pain was sudden and unbearable. It felt like he was being crushed in the giant hand along with the pieces of coal. It felt like the white light was burning through Jay's skin, searing through his eyelids._

 _Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Jay shouted,_ "STOP! WILL YOU STOP! I can't take anymore! Even a stone can't take this! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"

 _Wracked with unimaginable pain, Jay threw his hands over his head. At last, just when Jay thought he'd be crushed into millions of pieces, the fist relaxed. The blinding light softened, and the agony in Jay's body began to fade by degrees. The giant fist gradually opened, revealing a beautiful sight. Seven diamonds, all clear and brilliant and shot through with light, lay in the palm of the giant hand._

" _JASON!" A loud, booming voice echoed in Jay's ears, and Jay lifted his head. The diamonds twinkled and sparkled merrily in the good palm as the giant hand approached. The voice became softer, kinder, as it said, "Jason...this will be you."_

 _Jay glanced around in surprise. The chains that had bound his wrists and ankles were suddenly gone. His hands and feet were healed, free of the sore and abraded skin. His clothes were clean._

 _Cautiously, Jay climbed to his feet and glanced around. A stunned and wondrous look crossed his face as he let his gaze sweep across the landscape. As he did, he felt something in his hands. He looked down and gasped._

 _He was holding the diamonds._

 _A warm breeze drifted across Jay's skin, and he glanced up. To his surprise and wonder, winter had turned into spring in the blink of an eye. The grass was green and lush. The buildings were bright and clean and shining. The sun was beginning to rise, staining the clouds with an explosion of pinks and oranges, greens and golds. Birds were flittering about and singing in the trees. The ground was covered with flowers and plants of every color and shape imaginable. It was a beautiful riot of color and sound._

 _Still holding the diamonds, Jay watched enraptured as the sun rose and the day began, the warm breeze blowing through his hair..._

~~~ANGEL~~~

…It was the whirring of a fan that gradually eased Jay out of his slumber. A sigh escaped the exhausted blonde's lips as he regained awareness. He was laying on his back, on something firm and comfortable. He smelled wood smoke, dry leaves, and a faint muskiness, mixed in with something salty. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, just different and oddly comforting. He immediately recognized the scent as the one he smelled when he curled up in Luke's arms, and he let a smile play across his lips.

Slowly Jay pried his eyes open and was unnerved to see only shadows and movement. He'd hoped that the blindness he'd been struck with would simply disappear, but that wasn't going to be the case. The black clouds had faded to a swirling, changeable gray, but he still wasn't able to make out shapes yet. The fact that the suffocating darkness he'd experienced previously was fading did put a measure of reassurance in his heart.

He smelled food cooking and heard activity-dishes being pulled out of cupboards, heavy footsteps, water running, pots and pans clinking—downstairs. Jay's stomach growled. How long had it been since he'd eaten properly? Of course, he wouldn't be able to see what he was eating, but at this point, he really didn't care. Whatever anyone put in front of him, he'd devour.

Jay struggled to sit up in bed as heavy footsteps clomped down the hall and into the bedroom. The voice that greeted him put him at ease: "Someone's awake."

Jay turned his head in the direction of Luke's voice. "How long have I been asleep?"

Luke set the tray that he'd been carrying down on the desk and pulled the chair up to the bed."You've been asleep nearly twenty hours. It's almost noon."

"August first, I assume? I must have needed the rest, if I slept that long." Jay paused. "Did you..."

"Sleep in the bed with you? No. Didn't wanna wake you up," Luke explained, helping Jay lean forward so that he could adjust the pillows at his back. Once completed, he eased Jay back against the comfortable nest. "I slept on the couch downstairs last night." He picked up the tray he'd brought in and sat it on the bed. "Thought you might be hungry."

Jay grinned. "Ravenous. I can't remember the last time I had a proper meal. What did you bring me?"

"Nothing fancy. Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich." Luke scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently to cool it, and offered it to the convalescing blonde. "I'll feed it to you. Don't want you getting sick from bolting your food down too fast."

"Good idea. And in the state I'm in, I'd probably wear more of it than eat it if I tried feeding myself." The old rhyme _Over the teeth, past the gums, watch out stomach, here it comes!_ came to mind, and it made Jay snicker before he opened his mouth and accepted the offered spoonful of soup. It was the canned variety, but after days, maybe weeks, without proper nourishment, it tasted delicious.

Luke broke the sandwich into pieces and fed them to Jay in the same manner, even dunking a few of them into the soup for variety. The recovering blonde ate everything that was held out to him and sipped water through a straw.

"I picked some clothes up for you this morning. Nothing fancy. Just some pants, underwear, some t-shirts. Hopefully they should all fit you. Later I'll bring a radio up for you so you can have something to listen to. Hope you like classic rock."

"That's quite thoughtful of you." Jay's smile was genuine. "Thank you. And I don't mind classic rock."

Luke continued once Jay was finished with the meal. "Bray and Erick and I had a...few words yesterday about what they did to you. They're not gonna hurt you again."

Jay said nothing, but Luke could almost hear the wheels turning in the blonde's head. He sensed that Jay was about to blame himself again for his predicament, so he added, "Oh, and I wanted to tell you that Bray got in touch with the woman who watches your cats and your house while you're on the road. He told her that you'd fallen ill and that you were in the hospital. She's gonna take care of your place for as long as necessary."

Whatever tension was left in Jay's body dissipated upon hearing that news. "One less thing to worry about when I go back, I suppose," he sighed. "At least I know things are being taken care of."

"I'll check the scrapes on you and change the bandages. Last thing we need is those wounds getting infected. So how are you feeling?"

"Physically, I'm sore, hurting," Jay admitted, as Luke unwrapped his bandages. "Mentally, I'm still kinda numb. Trying to process everything."

Luke nodded, inspecting Jay's wounds. Now that they'd been cleaned and treated, the abrasions on the older blonde's wrists and ankles were beginning to heal. He would have to change the bandages, of course, but the wounds looked better than they did the day before.

"You look much better than you did yesterday." Luke remarked later, as he treated the recovering blonde and wrapped Jay's wrists and ankles in fresh bandages. And he was right about that. The bruises and cuts on Jay's face were fading and healing, with some of the bruises turning into pale greens and yellows. His hair was rumpled and it stuck up in several spots, but it was clean now, and nothing that a comb couldn't fix. There was even some color in Jay's cheeks; Luke attributed that to the meal that he'd just eaten, along with the hours of uninterrupted rest. Jay still had a ways to go before he was back to himself physically, but considering what he'd looked like when he was brought upstairs the day before, it was a marked improvement.

"I wish I could see what you can," Jay shrugged. "But I'll take it as a compliment."

"It is." Luke paused. "You looked like a trampled scarecrow yesterday."

Jay let a tentative smile play across his face. "I guess I have a pretty good doctor. You have a very nice bedside manner. You're patient, you're kind, and yet you don't mince words."

"I'm not the kind who's into nancying around."

"I like that."

"Thank you. That compliment has earned you a small discount off my final bill."

"I'm serious," Jay added. "It may sound odd and crazy, but when I was chained up, during the hours that I was alone, there were times that I actually thought about you."

Luke cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah. I was past the point of self-pity. I'd given up on waiting for someone to swoop in and save me, and I'd stopped crying about going home. I was going numb at that point, but then I remembered that there were quite a few kindnesses you gave me. You know, sleeping on the floor when you could have slept in your own bed, giving me things to eat and drink, cleaning my cuts and bruises. You held me when I cried. Even when I wasn't crying, you still held me. Maybe they were small gestures to you, but thinking about those gestures kept me from losing my mind in that God-awful place."

Luke was taken slightly aback at Jay's admission. "Well, I...I was just doing what I could for you."

"Well, you did more for me than you think." Jay paused, and then folded his hands behind his head. "So, you used to drive a truck?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me all about it. We're not going anywhere for a while, right?"

"I guess not," Luke shrugged, and began to talk. He had been a truck driver before meeting Bray and working on the Wyatt compound and ultimately joining the WWE. Luke's dad had been a long haul trucker as well, and a young Luke spent his summers riding around with him cross-country. Luke liked traveling with his dad, and it was during those trips that he decided to follow in his father's footsteps. He entertained the convalescing blonde with quite a few tales from the road. Eventually, he got to a particularly funny story:

"Had a driver have an accident which messed up the cab pretty good, luckily he wasn't hurt, and the trailer looked like it didn't suffer any damage. So the boss pulled the trailer, which still had the load on it, and took it back to the yard and let it sit . Then he called me in the next morning to pick the trailer up and deliver the load. But when I got to the yard, the trailer was on the ground, and it had collapsed around the wheels.

"See, what nobody knew was that during the accident, there'd been a hole torn in the top of the trailer. And shortly after the trailer had been towed back to the yard, it started raining. It rained through the night and into the next morning. About five inches total. The rain had gotten into the load, and the weight had cracked the axles on the trailer and collapsed it."

"So what was in the trailer that caused it to collapse?"

Luke blushed. "I'm gonna get shot for this..."

"Aww, come on," Jay pressed on, a grin on his face. "It can't be _that_ bad."

"You really wanna know?"

"Hey, you didn't set this up just so you could drop the ball at the last second. Absolutely I wanna know."

"Alright." Luke sighed and tried his hardest to keep a straight face. "It was a load of tampons."

Jay's bottom lip trembled...and then he let out a loud snort and busted up laughing. It wasn't forced or fake laughter. It was a full-on belly laugh, the kind that left you with tears in your eyes when you finished and brought others along for the ride.

Before Luke knew it, he was laughing just as hard as Jay was, and thrilled that his would-be-lover was able to laugh in spite of all the hell he'd been through.

~~~ANGEL~~~

Bray and Erick stood outside of Luke's room, away from the doorway so that they couldn't be seen. A knowing smile crossed Bray's lips as he turned to his companion.

"You knew they were gonna bond, didn't you?" Erick questioned.

"A little sooner than I expected, but yes." Bray nodded. "Blindness can be a curse or blessing, depending on how you look at it. Looking at those two, I'd say it's a blessing for both of them..."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Dream sequence is from Chapter 24 of** **_I Never Promised You A Rose Garden,_** **by Joanne Greenburg. BTW, did anyone catch how many diamonds were created? The funny trucking story came from the forum from classadrivers dot com, posted by bluebeetle.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	10. Heal Me: Chapter Four

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Nothing for this chapter except…**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Not my characters (Except for Anna and the Pollards as I imagine them). Bray's sermons, promos, etc. are courtesy of cagematch dot net, their extensive promo database, and webmaster Philip Kreikenbohm. Story series inspired by theytalktome's Wyatt/Jay one-shot series and used with permission.**

 ** _Heal Me: Chapter Four_**

"I think my eyes are getting better," Jay smirked as Luke carried him down the stairs. Earlier, Luke helped Jay wash up and dress in some khakis and a faded purple shirt. "Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur with some brightly colored shapes thrown in for good measure."

Luke set the recovering blonde down on the bottom of the stairs. "Big light blur, huh?" The crisp scent of peppermint and watercress danced along the breeze as Luke and his recovering companion made their way to Bray's shed for morning devotionals. The grass was thick and lush, and the air was cool.

"I guess it's a good thing," Jay shrugged as Luke gently ushered him into the shed. "I can tell what color your shirt is now."

In the shed, Luke, Jay and Erick knelt on the floor as Bray opened devotionals up with prayer, and then began his sermon.

"The Devil and his minions tortured me last night in my sleep," Bray announced to his family, as they sat in quiet attention. "They surrounded me on all sides. The minions crept up close and taunted me. They whispered in my ears, hateful, evil, dark words. I tried to block them out. But they kept on and on for what felt like hours.

"Then they picked me up like I was nothing and threw me down onto the ground. I found myself lying on my back as they shined what looked like a laser beam at my feet and moved it up. If you could imagine the old James Bond movie _Goldfinger,_ that's kinda what it looked like. And the pain was indescribable. It was a searing, burning pain. Pure and perfect agony as they cut me from the bottoms of my feet to the top of my skull. I felt like I was in this black pit of despair and pain. It was like I was being cut into pieces.

"And while all this torment was going on, this voice was whispering in my ears. It was telling me, _Bray, just say the words. Surrender to me. Just say yes, and my minions will stop tormenting you. The pain will disappear. You'll be healed and restored. Just say yes and surrender to me._

"It didn't take me long to figure out who was trying to persuade me.

"I can remember only one thing lying there: the reality that if I surrendered to the Devil, then I would die. Not just physically, but spiritually. It didn't hit me in the form of words, rather it was just a feeling, a gut instinct, and I can't describe in words the hollowness, the emptiness that only death could be described as. I didn't want to give in, so I resisted. And I responded in words. I screamed NO! It was loud, and it was primal.

"And to my surprise, that Unheavenly Host and his band of Tormenting Funsters backed away from me like I was radioactive. There was a thick silence once my tormentors disappeared back to whatever rock they crawled out from under. A moment passed and then I heard a soft voice in my head. It said, _Bray. You've suffered and bled enough. You've been measured and tested, and you're worthy. Your place in Heaven is assured. But...there's something else you need to know. The fight isn't over. For you, or for any other believer, it's_ never _over. Just as you've experienced._

"James 4:7 in _The Message_ says it best. _Let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet._ I can't think of a more appropriate verse. When you're at your lowest and least, and most broken, you can either surrender to the Devil, and let him destroy you. Or, you can resist him and call out to the Lord, and let Him take care of you…"

Four days had passed since Jay returned to the main house, and his recovery, while not miraculous, was steady. His wrists and ankles had healed enough that he no longer needed them wrapped. The cuts and bruises on his face were not noticeable unless you looked up close. Color had returned to Jay's face, and he was putting on much needed weight.

Jay was even getting around better. The first day out of bed, he was weak and his legs were wobbly. The veteran wrestler, who'd participated in arguably the greatest TLC match of all time with Edge and the Hardy Boyz, and had ruled ECW and TNA as their respective champions, stumbled around like a newborn colt, barely able to walk. But Luke was patient, and Jay was determined, and by the end of that day, Jay was able to stay on his feet and walk the full length of the upstairs hallway. He had to be guided to the bathroom and carried down the stairs, of course, but he was ambulatory now, a very encouraging sign.

He and Luke were growing closer as well. At first, Jay trusted Luke out of necessity. Now it was by choice, and he was beginning to enjoy and appreciate Luke's company. Luke would situate Jay in a chair on the upstairs porch so that he could get some fresh air and sunshine and turned the radio on to the classic rock station out of Lafayette. He'd bring his own meals upstairs along with Jay's so that the two of them could eat together (Luke's room had a door that opened up directly to the upstairs porch, and he'd cleared away a space and brought up a table and chairs for him and Jay to eat at). At night, he read to Jay; Scriptures, newspaper articles, paperback mysteries, and classic westerns that he managed to find downstairs. Jay would listen with undivided attention until the soft rumble of Luke's voice and the whirring of the fan in the room lulled the convalescing blonde to sleep.

They shared the bedroom. Jay slept in the bed, while Luke slept on across from him, on a cot he'd found downstairs. It was the most selfish desire of Luke's heart to share the bed with his older would-be lover. To have Jay wrapped in his arms, sleeping soundly and feeling safe and loved, was a goal that was more within reach now. But Luke wasn't going to rush things, not while Jay was still in a fragile state. He wanted Jay to make that move himself, and he'd wait as long as it took.

Luke still struggled with the question of why Bray had felt the need to beat Jay into submission in order to save him, and he hoped that what was done to the blonde veteran was the exception and not the rule. Bray didn't need drugs or alcohol to hook new followers. All he really needed was that dark chocolate voice and a few persuasive words. Hopefully Bray's subsequent followers wouldn't be in such dire straits as Jay had been.

Luke let a smile spread slowly across his face. His would-be lover was sitting up straight, cross-legged on the floor. His eyes tracked Bray as he walked back and forth across the concrete. From the looks of things, Jay was hanging on everything the Eater of Worlds was saying. Jay's blindness was a clear example of Bray's lessons of hitting bottom and descending below all things before rising above them all.

"Everything you think you know about your own lives is all based upon a lie," Bray continued. "Men wake up every morning and go to work, they break their backs just trying to earn a little bit of cash, so that they can buy fancy suits and sports cars and try to impress the women. And the women wake up every morning and slather make-up all over their beautiful faces to impress the men. But that's what society expects. It's what society demands. Everyone, men, women, even children, are wearing the masks that society demands them all to wear. But it's all lies. It's a bottomless pit of lies.

"I'm here to announce that you don't need a mask. You don't need to wear a mask in this society. Turn to the Lord. He doesn't demand that you wear a mask. He wants you to join Him in slaying the demons. He just wants you for you..."

"Society plasters your hopes and dreams up on a billboard. And who is the man that is on that billboard? Well he's the man that hides behind the plastic smile. He's the man that plays the role of hero better than anyone else. He's the man that tells you everything you think you need to hear and I think to myself, oh, what a wonderful world.

"Yeah, right. This is the same society that tries to vilify a man like me. Why? Because I say everything they're afraid to say, and I do everything they're afraid to do. And I promise you today, tomorrow, and up until my final breath that I, with the the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, will lead others to slay this mighty dragon. And we will stand over its body and proclaim, _The lie has come to an end."_

~~~ANGEL~~~

Once morning devotionals were finished, it was back to the main house. Jay listened to the radio while Luke went outside to help Erick and Bray with chores. Then, after going back in to wash up, Luke helped Jay back upstairs. The two of them enjoyed a simple meal on the upstairs porch; shredded carrots, chopped onions, and raisins, mixed with mayo and rolled up in tortillas for lunch, with cheese cubes, and iced tea to drink.

Everything that Jay ate for the past few days was simple fare. Yesterday's lunch had been a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, on white bread, with a glass of milk, carrot sticks, and canned pears. It was the kind of lunch you'd serve a school-aged child, but Jay had eaten everything on his plate. Jay was able to feed himself with little difficulty now, and ate everything on his plate once more, although he still used a straw to drink out of his glass.

On this particular day, Luke and his...perhaps he could call Jay a _companion_ now...discussed what Bray wanted to teach. It was a concept called the Seven Diamonds Plus One. The seven diamonds were the teachings Bray had gleaned out of several books: the main ones were the Bible (he preferred the NIV version, because it was easier to read and understand), the Doctrine and Covenants of the Latter Day Saints, and the Book of Mormon. The teachings from those books, along with a few lesser ones, were the seven diamonds. The plus-one was the teacher, who would pass those lessons on to others.

"Bray's tried all religions at least once in his search for God," Luke said later, as he gazed out the window and watched the clouds gather. A thunderstorm, a common event this time of year, was on its way in. "Catholicism. Judaism. Mormonism. Methodist, Buddhist. Protestant. Scientology. You name it. He even went to a ceremony worshiping Mother Earth." Jay chuckled at that. "No, seriously. Bray's always felt His presence."

"It would be hard to imagine him without religion," Jay admitted, setting his glass down on the table. He paused. "So why hasn't Bray spoken to me directly yet? I mean, he did a helluva lot of talking while I was out in the garage. He'd say to me, _You're in the Lord's university now, and He'll teach you everything you need to know. When it's all finished, you'll have a degree from God that's bigger and better than any the world could possibly give you."_

"Maybe he talked himself out," Luke shrugged.

"I don't know. But while I was out there, Bray would tell me, _You know, Jay, you're a_ very _lucky man."_ Jay attempted an impression of Bray but failed epically, and Luke had to chuckle. _"I took you out of the world and saved you. I brought you out of sin and drained all the poison of this wicked world out of your heart and soul. The Lord's chosen you for something bigger and greater than you realize. You're blessed!_ But now...except for morning devotionals, he won't give me the time of day."

Jay sighed and gazed out across the porch. "Did I do something to upset him? I could apologize to him. Maybe he's angry because I was dumb enough to look at the sun, and you taking care of me is getting in the way—"

"Jay, don't EVER let me hear you talk like that ever again!" Luke interrupted, his voice sharper than he would have liked. A look of fear flashed across Jay's face for a second, and Luke softened his voice. "You're blaming yourself again. What happened to your eyesight was _not_ your fault, and don't think for a second that Bray's angry because of it. He's NOT angry with you, and that's a fact. If he's angry with anyone, it's probably me because I called him on what he did to you out there. And if anything, he owes _you_ an apology, but don't tell anyone I said that."

"I won't."

"And there's something else I want to tell you, Jay." Luke paused while he collected his thoughts. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, but sincere, and very serious. "You know how I feel about you, which was one of the reasons why you were taken in the first place. But I want you to promise me something. I don't want to hear you say _I love you,_ unless you absolutely _want_ to say it, and unless you _absolutely mean it._ I don't wanna hear _I love you_ because somebody beat it into you. Promise me that. Do you promise me?"

The silence that followed was almost thick enough to slice. That was interrupted by a loud roll of thunder that made Jay sit upright in surprise. "Boy, I wasn't expecting _that,"_ he chuckled softly. He nodded then, and did Luke see an expression of _relief_ on Jay's face? "I promise." He paused. "Uhmmm, shouldn't we get back inside before the storm hits? I can smell the ozone."

"Naah, we can sit out here. We've got shelter." Luke was used to the rainy season, so the change in weather was no big deal. Thunderstorms in these parts weren't just dark clouds moving in, a few rolls of thunder, a flash or two of lightning, and a steady downpour that ended in an hour or two. No, not at all.

Here, the skies parted with little warning, and water gushed and gushed down to the ground in fits and starts. The rain was like a writhing silver curtain as it fell from the sky, especially when the sun was out. When the rain abruptly stopped (which it usually did), the water hanging from the leaves would sparkle and shimmer like diamonds, the standing water on the ground would reflect like a mirror, and the air would be cleansed and cool. Even the green of the landscape would look darker and richer after a storm like this. And if the ground was warm enough, steam would sometimes rise up in small clouds, like a natural sauna. Then, a rainbow, perfectly vivid in color from one end to the other, would stretch across the sky. Sometimes, it would be a double rainbow, the second one a bit lighter than the first, but no less stunning.

He wished that Jay could watch this spectacle with him, but after the conversation they'd just had, Luke had a feeling that he and Jay would be watching thunderstorms together for a long, long time.

~~~ANGEL~~~

Later, Luke sought out Bray, who was at the kitchen table reading one of his many religious tomes. "So why haven't you talked to Jay since he came back to the house?" he demanded, leaning his big frame against the icebox.

Bray set his book down and turned around, his expression almost haughty, like he wanted Luke to understand what an honor it was for the Eater Of Worlds to bestow upon him his undivided attention. "I thought he'd appreciate not hearing my voice for a while."

"That's smoke, and you know it," Luke spat; so much for bestowing an honor. "You'd spout off at the mouth, even if someone _didn't_ wanna hear your voice." He paused. "Jay's confused. He's wondering if he did something to upset you. He's blaming himself for his blindness, and he thinks you're angry at him because of it."

"I'm not angry with him!" Did Luke see a look of confusion on Bray's face?

"Then set the record straight with him!" Luke fired back. "If Jay's gonna be part of this family, there can't be any discord between you two. Otherwise, everything we've done for him will be pointless." And with those words, Luke turned and stomped out of the kitchen.

Bray watched the retreating form of his First Son with a thoughtful look on his face. In spite of the prideful part of himself shouting that Luke was wrong, the Eater Of Worlds knew that he was right. Luke was the kind who was willing to antagonize and challenge someone, and not for malicious reasons. He did it to make those around him think and question and want to explore. If he questioned you, that meant you were worthy of his time and effort. He was argumentative by nature, but when push came to shove, he'd always have your back.

It was now time to explain to Jay the _why_ behind the _what._ The _why_ behind the kidnapping, the _why_ behind the days of praying, of torture, of indoctrination, of telling Jay that he came from a wicked and sinful world. The _why_ behind telling Jay that his friends were no longer part of his life, and that they were paving their own paths to destruction. And the _why_ behind telling Jay that he should consider himself honored that he'd been chosen to join the Wyatts.

But before he did that, he had to get his "sons" out of the house. Perhaps some chicken from Popeye's would put smiles on their faces. Bray's hands reached for the wallet in his front pants' pocket as he climbed out of his chair to search for Luke. He'd send him and Erick away for a few hours so he could talk to Jay uninterrupted.

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _With me, illusions are bound to be shattered. I am here to shatter all illusions. Yes, it will irritate you, it will annoy you - that's my way of functioning and working. I will sabotage you from your very roots! Unless you are totally destroyed as a mind, there is no hope for you."_  
― _Osho_

" _Please...please make it stop...make it stop..."_

 _Jay lay curled up in a ball in the middle of the cold dark garage floor, while Bray began, in a singsong voice, "I got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart. I got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart, to stay."_

 _Jay let out a yelp as Erick grabbed a handful of his hair and forced him to sit up. How long could Bray continue talking like this?_

" _You know, Jay, as our day of reckoning inches closer, I can't help but feel this child-like excitement building up in me," said the Eater Of Worlds as he paced back and forth across the cold garage floor. "The clock is ticking. The defeat of your stubbornness won't be in vain. Your shattered pride will pave the streets of my kingdom and from my throne, I'm going to turn them all towards the light, and you're going to help me. I can't help but wonder, Jay, I must ask you: In the end, was all of this worth it? Only because if you're not willing to lay your life down for the greater good, then you've already lost."_

 _Bray drew closer, and Jay stared at him with bleary eyes. What could he do, chained up and helpless like he was?_

 _"This world has an infection and the virus is the human race," Bray continued. "Through all these troubling times, Jay, it makes all the sense in the world that your so-called heroes would place themselves right in the middle of the action. After all, what would the world be without heroes? Without its knights in shining armor swooping in to save the day? So-called heroes? They're hollow. They're full of empty promises. They promise to save people, to keep them safe, and tell them that everything will be all right just as long as they're around._

" _They're all lies, Jay. Nothing but a pack of shameless lies. This is a terrible world. It's a cold, dark, and lonely place. Fake heroes stand for the illusions of a bright and beautiful world, but I stand for everything that's real about it. I'm watching a species that has so much promise and potential circle the drain, as they desperately believe that there's a misplaced 'American Dream', and that everything will be fixed and all spiffy at the end. I watch it from a safe distance, detached from it, in the world but not part of it, and I have to laugh. Because I know I don't belong in it._

" _You don't belong in it either, Jay. Please, excuse me. Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Bray Wyatt. We are the reapers that bring death to this era of lies...and when I finish with you, you'll be the newest one."_

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _No...no, don't hurt me..."_ Jay whimpered before he forced himself awake, his dream/flashback ripping away like wrapping paper. He was aware of the taste of copper in his mouth and a mist of sweat on his skin. He rolled onto his back on the queen-sized bed and tried to slow his racing heart. His vision was still quite blurry, but he recognized where he was from the red and black shapes he could distinguish; he'd fallen asleep in Luke's bedroom. He could sense natural light and wondered how long he'd been asleep.

Jay smelled food cooking and heard kitchen sounds, cooking sounds; cupboards and drawers being opened and shut, pots and pans and silverware rattling. His stomach rumbled. _I must have slept long enough that it's now time for supper,_ he thought in amusement, as he climbed out of bed. The gentle ruffling of the air in the room told Jay that the door that led from Luke's room to the upstairs porch was open, and he carefully ventured outside. The homey smell of cooking tickled his nostrils as well; obviously, dinner was here and waiting.

Jay was able to make out more shapes, and as he sat down carefully, he could identify what was on his plate. A large chicken thigh. A few nibbles told Jay that it was slightly overcooked, but edible. Mashed potatoes, green beans, and a salad. Canned pears for dessert; Jay could smell the cinnamon sprinkled on top of them. He was getting used to the canned pears, and it was almost like he'd feel like something was missing if they weren't there in some form with his meals. It was good food, healthy food, though bland. He remembered something one of his aunts—her name was Aunt Lydia—said whenever he had supper at her place; _You're a growing boy, Jay. You have to get your vitamins and minerals._ The memory put a smile on his face.

He heard heavy footsteps step across the bedroom floor and approach the table. He glanced up, expecting to recognize the familiar shape of his caretaker. His nostrils flared as he picked up a scent that was different from what he'd been expecting.

"You're not Luke," Jay said, matter of fact, after a pause.

"No, I'm not," Bray said, pulling up a chair and sitting across from the table. "Thought you might like some company. I put this together for you. I wasn't too sure about the chicken, figured I'd err on the side of caution and overcook it. Didn't want you to eat something that's not cooked long enough and get sick afterwards because of it." He paused. "You're getting quite good at figuring out who's who around here."

"You smell different from him."

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?"

"Neither. It's just different." Jay paused and picked up his fork. "Speaking of Luke, where is he?"

"I sent him and Erick into town for the evening. Thought they'd want to get out of the house for a while. So it's only you and me for a couple of hours."

As they ate, Bray watched the recovering blonde carefully; he gaged the atmosphere, and waited patiently for the opportunity to bring up the reason why he was upstairs. Jay sensed that something important was on the horizon as well. After being in captivity for so long, he had a decent enough handle for Bray's intentions and moods.

Finally, during dessert, Jay asked bluntly, "You're not up here eating supper with me just out of the kindness of your heart, are you?"

"Not entirely," Bray said, after a sip of iced tea. He was used to Jay's directness now, so he knew Jay meant no disrespect. "You seem to think I'm angry with you."

"And you haven't spoken to me directly until just now. Have I upset you?"

"Why do you feel like you've upset me?"

"I've been taking up more of Luke's time and yours than necessary because I can't see proper. I was stupid enough to look at the sun when you took me back to the house."

"That's not your fault, Jay. You haven't done anything to upset me. And Luke doesn't mind taking care of you. He's quite fond of you."

"Which is true. But how do _you_ feel about me?" Jay paused, and then spoke carefully. "You didn't take me here and put me in chains and beat me within an inch of my life without a good reason. I must mean something important to you if you were willing to take over my life like you did, right?"

"That's true."

"Then why haven't you spoken to me?"

"Do you want the warm fuzzy answer, or do you want the truth?"

"Has there ever been a time when you've been warm and fuzzy with me?"

 _"Touché,"_ Bray chuckled. He pushed aside his plate and glass and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger before he spoke. "I had a chance to reflect on what went on in that garage. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so brutal, because now you won't be able to see or hear or speak to me without thinking of me as an abusive, evil monster.

"I've done horrible things to people in the name of cause. I justified it because I told myself that it was for the greater good. I was brutal, I was unconventional, but if I could make someone see the light at the end, then it was all worth it." And with that, Bray explained the _why_ behind the _what:_

 _Jay's abduction had not been some random idea that was carried out on a whim. It was well planned, well-executed, and in Bray's mind, all of it was justified._

 _From the moment he and Luke lay eyes on Jay, he knew the older blonde was the next member of the Wyatts. The Lord had chosen him, Bray realized; the fact that Luke was smitten with Jay was a bonus, and his in-ring skills would be a benefit to the family._

 _God intended for the blonde veteran to be Bray's newest convert, and the one to help bring change to the masses. In order for that to come to fruition, Bray had to kidnap Jay to save him from all of the wickedness in the world. Everyone around him, the entire world, was carnal and sensual and devilish. But before he could save Jay from the wicked world, he had to save the veteran blonde from himself._

 _Before the abduction, Bray, Erick, and Luke shadowed him, both at home, and on the road. Bray had learned Jay's habits, found the name of Jay's house/pet-sitter, and made a few persuasive phone calls. At first, the woman had been suspicious, but a few hundred extra dollars changed her mind quickly. Some would call it bribery; Bray called it stewardship for a worthy cause. Once he was confident that Jay's affairs would be taken care of in the interim, Bray and his "sons" prepared in earnest._

 _The timing had to be absolutely perfect. Waiting until Jay returned to his hotel room in Baltimore was not an option; too many opportunities for Jay to succeed in his final act. So, Bray and his "sons" waited until after the match with Kane was over to take him._

"To that end, I put you in chains to save you from yourself. You were going to take your own life in Baltimore. If by some unexpected chance you didn't succeed, then you would have taken it elsewhere. It would have been just a matter of time. All of us here know that. Honestly, I thought you were upset with me, for what Erick and I put you through, although deep down, it was for your own good."

"You did what you had to do." Jay tried to assure him. "You were trying to teach me, and I was mouthy and rude."

"You were," conceded Bray. "But I persevered. Because underneath all that bluster, I could see the heartbroken and lonely man in need of healing. I did what it took to reach him. You may be in the twilight of your career in the WWE, Jay, but that doesn't mean your life had to end along with it. Your so-called friends left you behind, but that didn't mean you couldn't have new friends or a family who loves you just as much, if not more so. And you really _didn't_ want to kill yourself. You wanted someone to _save_ you. You needed someone who loved you enough to do whatever it took to save you."

Jay felt tears prickle his eyes. They weren't tears of despair or pity. What Bray just said was the absolute truth. "Bray," he ventured softly. "You don't know how right you are. I didn't want to kill myself that night. I wanted someone to stop me. I wanted someone to care enough about me to ask me what was wrong and try to help. I didn't wanna die that night, Bray." He felt the tears spill from his eyes and trundle down his cheeks. "And I don't wanna die now." He took a shaky breath and dried his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. "Dammit, I'm sorry."

"It's alright. You're experiencing an emotion other than self-pity and selfishness, and it's a beautiful thing to watch. The worst is behind you now. You've hit bedrock. You've descended below all things, and now there's no other direction to go but up. I hope that doesn't sound overly cheerful."

"You go right ahead and be as cheerful as you want," Jay said. "My spirits need lifting." He paused, and a grateful smile spread across his face. "Thank you, Bray. Your methods were unorthodox, but you saved me."

"There's no reason to be sad. The worst is behind you now."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: One of those chapters that wrote themselves, and those are the ones I like the most. I don't see the Wyatts as so insular that they shut themselves away from civilization as a whole. You can be in the world, but not of the world (I believe that's from John 17:14 – 16 in the Bible, and BTW, I read the NIV like my Bray muse). The sermon in Jay's dream is from promos from Monday Night Raw, February 17 and 24, 2014, mixed in with portions of the book** ** _Brain Droppings_** **by George Carlin.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	11. Heal Me: Chapter Five

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I can't express how much I appreciate everyone's support and kind words. They do motivate me to continue. This story, BTW, should be wrapping up in about three chapters, four max.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters. Sermon in Jay's dream/nightmare is from the episode of NXT from July 31, 2013, mixed with Smackdown from November 29, 2013. The Elinor Glyn poem is an actual one inspired by her** ** _Three Weeks_** **series, original author of the poem unknown.**

 ** _Heal Me: Chapter Five_**

" _I'm here. I love you. I don't care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. There's nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me."_  
― _Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love_

 _"There are several different types of men in this world. There are men who dream and never make it off their couch. There are men who dream and fail. And then there are men who dream and change the landscape of this world, people like Bray Wyatt. What about you, Jay? That's what I want to know. Aren't you tired of feeling unwanted? Aren't you tired of feeling like an outcast and being stepped upon?"_

 _Jay glared up at his tormentor with bleary, bloodshot blue eyes. Even chained up, beaten down and bruised, he still had quite a bit of fire left inside him. "I'd rather spend the rest of my life as an unwanted, stepped-upon outcast than join your band of freaks!"_

 _POW! A sudden pain shot through the side of Jay's head, and he was knocked sideways onto the floor. He glanced over at the pair of boots that stood next to him. Something dropped onto the cold concrete. It took a moment for Jay to recognize it as Erick's sheep mask._

" _YOU WILL SHOW BRAY PROPER RESPECT!" Erick growled, as he glared down at the chained-up captive, his voice low, but deadly._

 _Jay gazed up at Bray's Second Son, his expression unreadable. Then, without thinking, he snarled and spit into Erick's face._

" _YOU!" The single word Erick bellowed out was loud and growly, and it sounded almost like a lion's roar. Before Jay could react, the big man pounced on him. There was a jangling of chains and shouting. The next thing he knew, Jay felt chains being wrapped around his throat. His body was lifted up and dragged across the floor._

 _Panic and pain set in as Jay's air was suddenly cut off. The darkness of the garage suddenly felt darker, and a tight pain filled Jay's chest. His hands flew to his neck. Dancing silver specks filled Jay's vision, reminding him fleetingly of glitter being spilled across a piece of black construction paper. His head throbbed, and what little he was able to see began to flicker and fade..._

" _ERICK! LET HIM GO! GET OFF HIM! YOU'RE GONNA KILL HIM!"_

 _Suddenly, the pain in Jay's chest ceased, and the chains loosened. The beaten blonde toppled back to the floor, a pile of chains and shabby clothing, blood, flesh and bone. Air rushed back into Jay's lungs, and he crumpled into himself, coughing and choking and sputtering._

 _As Jay caught his breath, he could hear Erick and Bray in heated conversation. "Don't ever put your hands on him like that again...discipline, Erick! He'll be worth nothing if he's dead...leave that to me!"_

 _How long did Jay lay on the concrete. He couldn't tell. A minute, two, five, ten. It didn't matter. What mattered now was the fact that Bray was now looming over him. Jay lifted his pounding head, and his throbbing eyes attempted to focus._

" _Like I said, Jay," continued the Eater of Worlds, without missing a beat. "Aren't you tired of feeling unwanted? Aren't you tired of feeling like an outcast and being stepped upon?"_

 _He didn't wait for an answer and continued. "Well then today is your day because today's the day that Bray Wyatt decided he's gonna change everything, and today's the day that he's gonna change you. Today, hell's about to freeze over. Today, pigs are gonna fly. Today, me and my people are gonna look fear right in the eye and say, 'Mr. Fear, sir, you are a liar'. And you'll stand alongside them._

 _Bray paced back and forth in front of his captive. "When I dream, I see all these mannequins posing as people. They're living in a world where they're intoxicated with their own vanity. But we all see symmetry in beauty. I have felt the sharp teeth of society. I know what it feels like to be thrown in some groveling pit where they all point down and laugh at me. But look at me now. I grow stronger by the day. And look, I got my wings and a halo waiting for me at the end! Nobody knows you better than I do, Jay; they could never know you like I do. You'll be safe with us. You've entered the lion's den as a man, Jay but you'll emerge a monster._

" _When I say_ Monster, _I don't mean some ugly, repulsive, scary beast that's waiting in the shadows to pounce on you and drag you away to have you for its dinner. I mean_ Monster _in the sense that we scare people with ideas that completely shatter the status quo. We scare people with the idea of change. The masses want to silence and destroy people like us because we terrify them with the idea of change, which is firmly rooted in truth. Truth makes the masses stop and think. Are they living in truth, or are they living a lie? Truth brings change, and that change brings truth._

" _That's a very heavy burden. A difficult task. But you can help me, Jay. Don't you see that? When you follow me, you're serving the Lord. And think about that. Out of everyone in this world, the Lord has called_ you. _You're are an instrument for the Lord, a monster if you will, destined to help bring about change to this fallen world. That is such a blessing, Jay. You get to serve the Lord._

" _When the smoke clears, Jay, I want you to go and tell all these so-called world leaders that they better heed my warning: take notice to Bray Wyatt. Because today's the day that Bray Wyatt decided to bring down the machine, with you as a willing and happy disciple. And we're not gonna be hard to find. All you gotta do is go look up in the sky and follow the buzzards..."_

~~~ANGEL~~~

Jay twitched and jerked in his sleep. His voice was small, like that of a child. _"...Bray...no, Bray! Don't let him hurt me, Bray! Stop it, don't hurt me!"_

The heavy hand on his shoulder made Jay shriek and curl up into a tight ball in the bed, as he emerged out of his nightmare. "NO!"

"Jay...Jay. It's me. Luke."

Jay lifted his head up in the direction of the soft, rumbly voice. He felt the bed dip slightly as someone sat down at the foot. He could tell by the soft glow in the room that the bedside lamp was on. He recognized the big shape in the room by its distinct scent and feel. He moved closer and felt big arms wrap around his slender frame. "I'm sorry, Luke," Jay gasped. "I just...I freaked out."

Luke carded his big fingers through Jay's hair, and Jay leaned into the touch. "It's okay."

"It'll take me a while to completely recover," Jay admitted.

"I know it will."

"I don't know how long. Maybe the rest of my life."

"I'll be right beside you."

For some reason, those five words, which would have instilled dread in Jay weeks ago, were now remarkably reassuring. Jay snuggled up closer to Luke, realizing that the big man didn't have a shirt on. It felt like he was curling up on a fur pelt, and somehow, it was okay. An old poem came to mind that made him smirk:

 _Would you like to sin  
With Elinor Glyn  
On a tiger skin?  
Or would you prefer  
To err with her  
On some other fur?_

He inhaled through his nose, the smoky-musky-sweaty-salty scent instilling a feel of safety and security. Instinctively, Jay wrapped his arms around Luke's neck and nuzzled against his massive beard. "Luke?" he asked, cautiously.

The big man turned his head to gaze down at him.

Jay hesitated, and then asked, "Will you stay with me?"

"I'll be right across from you," Luke assured him, softly. "I'm not going anywhere."

"No. What I mean is..." Jay struggled to find the proper words. "Will you...will you...share the bed with me tonight?"

Luke felt a thrill pass through him, and his heart skipped a few beats. He was willing to wait as long as it took for Jay to feel comfortable enough to sleep in the same bed with him—not intimately, of course, that could wait—but wrapped in his massive arms, sleeping comfortably and feeling safe. But suddenly, that selfish desire was much closer than he'd ever thought possible. Of course, Jay couldn't see the smile that slowly spread across Luke's face, but he could heard the kindness in his voice. "Yeah. If that's what you want."

"It is." A relieved sigh escaped Jay's lips as he moved over to the opposite side of the bed so that Luke could lie down on the mattress. Once the big man was situated, Jay wriggled up close and nuzzled against his unruly beard. Luke could feel the tension leave the older man's body and heard his breathing slow.

"Luke?" Jay asked after a pause.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here."

Luke pressed a gentle kiss against the side of Jay's head, breathing in the clean scent of his hair. "Hey, I'm in this for the long haul, Jay."

A yawn squeezed Jay's eyes into slits. "Thank you," he managed, before drifting back to sleep, his last thought being, _I like how his lips feel..._

~~~ANGEL~~~

Morning greeted Luke with bright sunshine and a cool breeze, the lingering result of another downpour that struck in the middle of the night. Briefly, he wondered why he was in his bed-he'd given Jay the bed to sleep on, and he was sleeping on the cot-but then he remembered the reason, and a little grin crossed his lips. He let out a loud yawn and scratched at his beard, and then launched himself into a full-body stretch, his joints popping in response.

Absently, Luke's hand reached across the mattress. Empty. No limbs to bump into. No arms around his neck. A coppery taste filled his mouth, and his heart raced. Jay's absence jolted Luke into complete wakefulness. He leaped out of bed, rushed out of the bedroom and darted down the hall.

In the bathroom, Jay was brushing his teeth. After hearing the pounding outside the door, he nudged open the bathroom door and poked his head out into the hallway. "What on Earth are you stomping around for?"

Luke glanced in the direction of the bathroom, his eyes wide. "How in blue hell did you wind up there?" he gasped in astonishment.

Jay shrugged. "I climbed out of bed and walked."

"It's...there's not a lot of light in the hallway, and it's all cluttered-" Luke sputtered.

Jay gently cut him off. "I can see enough now to know where I'm going. And Bray had a little bit to do with that," he added with a small grin. He remembered the encouragement Bray had given him the night before while Luke and Erick were out;

" _Come on, Jay. I know you can make your way down this hall without anyone holding your hand. And you can probably make it downstairs too, for that matter."_

" _I'm not sure I can make it down the hall."_

" _Why not? You look pretty able-bodied to me."_

" _What if I step on something sharp, or I trip, or I crash into something?"_

" _If you do, then you do. And then you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Luke's not always gonna be at your side, Jay. You know that's the nature of our job. Sooner or later, you'll have to put on the big boy pants and stand on your own when you need to..._

 _"Lao Tzu said the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So begin that journey, Jay, and take that step..."_

"So I climbed out of bed this morning, barked my shin on your desk, stubbed my toe on the dresser, and staggered down the hall into the bathroom, where I bumped my hip on the edge of the sink." Jay let a dorky little grin cross his face. "Aside from a couple of bumps and bruises, I'm no worse for wear."

Luke had to swallow a laugh. Jay's description of how he made it to the bathroom was too funny.

The look on Jay's face was that of mild impatience. "Bray's making breakfast this morning, so we better get dressed pronto."

"I'm still helping you down the stairs." Luke insisted gently, shaking his head.

~~~ANGEL~~~

Breakfast was simple; Bray was a decent cook, so long as it was nothing elaborate. Fried eggs, toast, orange juice, coffee. Luke and his companion stuffed their breakfast down in a comfortable silence and then headed to the shed to join Erick and Bray for morning devotionals.

Today, Bray decided to tell a personal story:

"I was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. My daddy was the captain of his own shrimp boat. I hated my daddy. He was a mean, vicious old man. My momma died giving birth to me, and my daddy blamed me for her death. He pulled me out of school when I was eight years old. He didn't think I needed to learn with the other kids. He put me to work on his boat straight away. I was unpaid labor, and I think it was his way of punishing me for merely _existing._ But then randomly one day my daddy's boat caught on fire. And it sunk him down in the Gulf of Mexico with it.

"After that, I went away to live with my uncle and my aunt on this very property. My aunt was a retired schoolteacher, and she taught me to read. I started out with 'See Spot Run'. And then it was 'Clifford the Big Red Dog'. And then it was The Good Book mostly after that. I helped my uncle on this farm growing up. He taught me a lot of things. And I learned a lot of things. I learned how this world likes to throw away little white trash peons such as myself. My uncle always said I was important, 'cause God don't make no junk. And let me tell you something: I ain't white trash. And I ain't a little peon either. I'm important. God never, ever makes junk. He creates people and things for a reason.

"I was created for a reason. Everything that's happened to me happened for a reason. You were created for a reason. And everything that's happened to you happened for a reason as well.

"This promised land has become the seat of depravity, idolatry, murder and secret combinations. And because of all of that, mixed in with excess pride and self-righteousness, this country's devolved into the most wicked and depraved of all the nations of the earth. And this nation seeks, along with all the others, to bring the whole earth into complete subjection, and the iron yoke of bondage and servitude, misery and death. And all this for power and gain and popularity and to satisfy all the lusts of the flesh.

"Because of that, the world needs men like me, _people_ like me. People like _us._ The masses have no idea. They don't know me but I know myself, and I know God. People like me, like us, we're the creators. The ones that bring the change, unite the masses and bring down the fist . That fist is change, and the masses are terrified of change..."

~~~ANGEL~~~

Lunch was beef stew, the canned variety, a slice of bread, and the now ubiquitous canned pears with cinnamon. "Maybe if you're up to it later," Luke ventured, cautiously. "We could go into town and do laundry and go grocery shopping. Then we could go for some takeout. There's a place in town that's not a chain place, and they serve really good fried chicken and ribs."

Jay's eyes widened. The thought of going back out into public thrilled him...but at the same time, it put butterflies the size of condors in his stomach. "What if someone recognizes me?" he asked, surprised at how timid his voice sounded.

Luke tilted his head to the side. "You're worried about someone recognizing you?"

"If I'm supposed to be sick and in the hospital, wouldn't it look odd to see me tooling around with a big hairy guy doing laundry and picking up takeout?"

Luke let out a snort of laughter. "I don't think people will recognize you 'round here. You'd be incidental. And they'd probably see me first and head for the door."

"Why would they do that?"

"When people see me, they act like I'm wondering how they'd taste with hot sauce," Luke shrugged. Jay busted up laughing and nearly choked on the bite of canned pear in his mouth. "It's why I try to go shopping when it's not so busy."

Jay managed to swallow his bite of pear before he spoke. "I still can't get my head around the fact that you go into town to shop."

"We have to. With our schedules as busy as they are now, the WWE and all, it's almost impossible to be self-sufficient. Bray and Erick and I, we do as much as we can, but sometimes it feels like a losing battle, as you can clearly tell." Luke studied Jay's expression. He could almost hear the wheels turning in the older blonde's head and added. "And you have to go back to Florida to settle your affairs as soon as you're able, so none of us will have much time for upkeep."

"Until I come back," Jay chimed in, a shy grin crossing his lips.

 _Until I come back._ Luke felt his heart lighten at the sound of those four little words. "You really consider this your home now, don't you?"

"Well...yeah," he shrugged, before he went back to eating his lunch. After being so far removed from technology, his cats, the people who he thought were his friends, and other responsibilities, Jay now found his needs and priorities becoming much simpler. He had three square meals a day. A real bed with a pillow and soft blankets. Hot running water and a radio and books. He had a family—unconventional, but a family nonetheless—whose members were willing to do whatever it took to protect and heal him. And most importantly, he had people in his life now who genuinely loved him.

He briefly wondered if he could bring his cats here to the compound, but then he killed the thought. In this untamed, rural place, they wouldn't last a day; he knew that deep down. Besides, his housesitter was quite fond of them and often joked about taking them home with her. Better to give his fur babies to someone he knew would love and take care of them and keep them safe.

 _I have so many things I need to take care of when I go back to Florida,_ Jay realized. _Sell my home, make arrangements for my cats, go through what I wanna take with me...but I shouldn't have to worry about that right now. We have more immediate matters to take care of._

 _I'm running out of clean clothes, for one. And two...barbecue actually sounds pretty good for supper._

"Hey, Luke..." Jay asked. "When do you wanna head into town?"

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Kinda felt like I just tacked the last few lines of this chapter without thinking of the story flow. Of course, I'm my severest critic, so maybe it reads better than I think it does. Bray's devotional sermon was from WWE NXT from March 15, 2012, and Monday Night RAW from June 17, 2013, mixed in with the controversial religious text that I mentioned in the previous book of this series.**

 **BTW, if you're wondering where the "veeeery interesting" comment came from, look up Arte Johnson and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In on Youtube. I was watching Laugh-In re-runs when I was five or six years old (1980-something), and some of the lines from that show stuck with me to this day!**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	12. Heal Me: Chapter Six

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well, when I was typing this chapter out originally, I was enjoying the fact that I was a Thanksgiving. My mom's roommate was working two jobs at the time, and I was housesitting, so I have the day all to myself. I was at WORK (really!) watching movies and taking advantage of the pre-Black Friday deals after I left (I bought a 2TB—that's TERABYTE—USB stick). I did some shopping before Thanksgiving and bought myself two pair of super cozy plush jammie pants. Perfect for lounging around.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters. Too lazy to type them all out. Trucking story from classadrivers dot net, groucho was the contributor.**

 ** _Chapter Six_**

After lunch, Luke and Jay washed their dishes and put everyone's clothes together for the trip into town. It would be the first time Jay had traveled since the day he was taken from Baltimore. In a striped, long-sleeved button down shirt, denim cargo shorts, and flip-flops, Jay was appropriately dressed for running around. He wore dark sunglasses not so much for protection for his still-healing eyes as for anonymity.

Luke and his companion drove into Crowley in a Ford extended cab truck. It was an old and rumbly blue beast, but it was reliable, and it was sturdy.

At the Laundromat, a clean, modern-looking facility, Luke gave Jay a small radio that he'd found in the truck's glove compartment, the kind that you can stick in your pocket. Jay looked down at his radio and grinned as he stuck the earbuds in his ears and turned it on. The radio was tuned into the classic rock station out of Lafayette. It was a small gift, but much appreciated, and it would keep Jay occupied while the clothes were being laundered.

Whenever Bray's "sons" appeared at a WWE show, their clothes always looked like they'd never been washed. Now, after spending time in Crowley's best coin-op Laundromat (truthfully, it was Crowley's _only_ coin-op Laundromat), Jay figured out why that was the case. Luke had only one rule when washing his clothes and everyone else's; wash everything in warm water.

Later, at Walmart, Jay and Luke picked up staples that could be eaten quickly, or stored for extended periods of time without spoiling; beef jerky, cheese, crackers, breakfast cereal, raisins, mayonnaise, pickles, a couple cases of RC Cola, onions, carrots, a couple of heads of lettuce for salads. Even a few bags of cookies. All that was left then was picking up takeout for dinner.

The rib-and-chicken shack was in a building along Highway 90 that had once been a gas station. The thick smell of deep-fat fry oil, sweet wood smoke, and barbecued meat made Jay's stomach growl.

The girl at the counter, a rather chubby looking high-school aged girl with mousy blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, barely glanced up from her order pad as Luke ordered two full slabs of ribs, four large orders of fries, and four 32-ounce Pepsis.

"And add two orders of chicken dinner," Luke continued; he couldn't forget Bray and Erick. "The four piece. White and dark meat. With extra salt."

"Okay. Two chickens," the girl said, waddling off to place the order.

Jay glanced around. The place was quiet, and even though he and Luke were the only two in line, he felt self-conscious.

It was always fun to watch food get prepared in restaurants like these. The layout of this particular place was such that Luke could easily look around the corner to the kitchen. Two high school-aged kids were chatting away and putting together the fried chicken meals. Luke watched a young man wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and plastic gloves take a chicken out of a large industrial fridge and pull it apart expertly before handing the pieces off to a similarly-clad girl. She rolled the meat in egg wash and then flour and spices before dropping the pieces into a fry basket and lowering it into a vat of oil. The oil popped and spat as the chicken pieces cooked and turned golden brown.

With the same economy of motion, the counter girl washed her hands and whipped on a pair of gloves before she grabbed a large bag of fries (they looked like the fresh-cut variety with the skins still on) and emptied it into a fry basket to stick in the hot oil to cook along with the chicken pieces.

While the fries and chicken were cooking away, the young man picked up a metal bin full of barbecue sauce and a basting brush and opened a large oven door. With the brush, he painted the sauce on a slab of ribs that were grilling away in a large metal pan.

"This may take a while," Luke told his companion. "Why don't we sit down?"

"Fine by me," Jay shrugged as Luke escorted him to a table covered with a red and white checkered vinyl cloth. "My feet are getting tired."

Luke and his companion sat in comfortable silence as their food was being prepared. Something caught Luke's eye and he gazed across the restaurant at the black and purple jukebox next to the front door. "I never thought I'd see one of those funky-looking old jukeboxes again," Luke smiled. "Must be at least forty years old."

"Really?" Jay tried to follow Luke's gaze. "Sorry. Everything looks really blurry to me, like I'm seriously nearsighted."

Luke smiled inwardly; Jay's vision was definitely clearing up. Perhaps in another day or so, his eyesight would be back to normal. "Yeah. I saw those jukeboxes all the time when I was traveling with my dad during the summer. I think they were at every truck stop we visited. He'd give me a dollar and told me to put the money in the jukebox and chose the music I wanted to play." He paused. "I never played the pop tunes. It was always rock and roll. That takes me back a long ways. Really good memories."

"I wouldn't mind listening to a few of your memories," Jay smirked. "You have a dollar?" Luke did, and soon the two of them listened to Marshall Tucker Band, Journey, and the Eagles, until the counter girl called out their order.

"Okay. Two chicken dinners, four-piece, white and dark mix, two full slabs, four large orders of fries, and four 32-ounce Pepsis," she announced, arriving with the food in several white paper sacks (they were stuffed in a cardboard box) and a cardboard cup holder. Luke handed the girl a fifty dollar bill, and she stuffed it into her register drawer and gave Luke back the change.

"You get to carry our food," Luke ordered Jay gently, gesturing towards the jammed-full box and the cup holder.

"Only if you carry our drinks," Jay fired back, just as gently, as he balanced the food in his arms and followed Luke out of the restaurant.

~~~ANGEL~~~

Later, Bray helped Jay and Luke put the groceries away and took the barbecue outside. Erick had cleared away some dead brush and branches and debris and created a small area for the four of them to sit and eat their supper. He dug a hole and created a fire pit to sit around later. They would have a simple picnic outside in the clearing outside the house, then sit around the fire pit and watch the sun go down.

"Come on, Jay," Luke encouraged him. "Dig in."

Jay eagerly took a bite of the spicy barbecue. He could taste tomato, sweetened with brown sugar and cane syrup, and spiked with cayenne pepper, mustard, hot sauce, onion, garlic, and other seasonings he couldn't identify, with a tangy finish that had to be vinegar. He ate part of his slab (Erick finished the rest) and a couple pieces of chicken, as well as all of his French fries, and drank the full container of Pepsi. To Jay, it felt like he'd eaten a seven-course gourmet meal.

Later, in the fire pit, Bray cooked some popcorn in a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and salt. As the four of them ate, Bray spun a few tales of his own about his life on the road:

"I once had a co-driver named Ed and we were forced together by the boss to take a load to California. We used a cabover Freightliner. We hadn't gotten through Pennsylvania when Ed decided to try my patience. He was driving for about 2 hours, when he decided to park at some rest area and nose the truck near a drop off. He jacked the cab up and yelled "We're going over!" I woke with a start and rolled out of the sleeper into the windshield! Needless to say I was not happy.

"I didn't say anything to him about it, but was he in for a big surprise. Somewhere west of Oklahoma City it was raining a ton so I pulled off on to the shoulder, got out and tossed a smoke bomb into the cab and yelled "Oh no! The cab is on fire!" Ed jumped out of the sleeper and dove out the passenger door and right into a huge mud puddle. A highway patrolman had stopped and asked what had happened and I said my co-driver had Swine flu and one of the symptoms is a craving for mud puddles!

"After that we got along fine!"

Soon, the conversation turned to some of Bray's philosophies. Bray went on about how fruit and vegetables were supposed to be the main thing that people ate every day. But, the processed-food producers and medical industry didn't want people to be well, so they kept shoving their products and Star Wars type medicines down everyone's throats (of course, the ribs and fried chicken dinners were okay, but just as a treat, Bray pointed out) so that each industry would keep the other in business. He then told a story about a group in Vermont who would visit local grocery stores and dumpster dive for the fruits, veggies, and other foods that were thrown out each day. They'd cook, dry or freeze the fruits and veggies and put the sandwiches, packaged foods, etc., in the freezer to eat at a later time.

After dinner, Bray and the others took the leftover trash (paper bags, cups, etc.) and burned them in the fire pit. When Luke escorted Jay back to the house, the moon was bright in the sky, and the stars were twinkling. Night had fallen; the day was officially over.

~~~ANGEL~~~

Jay's eyesight was still blurry, but it was now clear enough that he could see where he was going. He was even able to climb the stairs, gather his sleep shirt and pants from Luke's bedroom and pad down the hallway so that he could take a shower.

In the bathroom, Jay undressed, turned the shower on, and stepped into the steamy hot spray. He found a bar of soap and some all-natural organic shampoo and washed up. As he soaped up and leaned into the hot water to rinse off, he suddenly remembered the last time he'd taken a shower (up until this point he'd taken baths). The night he'd planned to kill himself.

Jay's heart raced as the reality of his situation became crystal clear. Had he not been taken by the Wyatts, he wouldn't be here, simple as that. He would have been six feet under, a victim of his heartache and depression. He wouldn't be able to enjoy the simple things in life; enjoying a quiet evening and a delicious supper with a group he now considered family, lying in bed at night in rapt attention as Luke read from the Bible or the local paper, or some old dime store mysteries, listening to and gaining a new appreciation for the classic rock on the radio, and just running around doing errands and enjoying the company of another and savoring the comfortable silences.

The truth was undeniable; Bray had frightened and broken Jay into the life he now led (although he'd apologized for his methods later), but Luke's devotion and affections had healed and restored him physically, emotionally, and spiritually, to a profound point of acceptance. Because of that devotion, a new Jay had emerged. One who'd been broken into pieces and reassembled into something different. Someone different. Someone important. Someone who was loved. Lovable. Valuable. Beautiful.

A lump welled up in Jay's throat, and he began to weep. He wept, not out of despair or pain, but out of gratitude, and in relief and in a new-found appreciation for his life. He made no noise; the sobs that wracked his body were silent. The one thought that crossed his mind was, G _ood thing I'm in the shower. Nobody can see the tears. Even if they are of the happy variety._

~~~ANGEL~~~

While Jay was washing up, Luke took Bray aside. "I wanna do something for him," he announced.

"You've done plenty for him, Luke." Bray's smile was genuine. "I seen the looks he's been giving you. He loves you."

"You really think so, Bray?"

"I _know_ so."

Luke smiled. Deep down, he knew Bray was right. "Well, I still wanna do something special for Jay. I'm gonna go get a flashlight and pick some berries."

"Watch out for the snakes," Bray warned Luke gently as the behemoth went to get a flashlight."

"I don't think there's ever been a snake in that strawberry patch since we first saw it," Luke fired back, before disappearing from view.

Bray watched the big man's retreating form and approached his Second Son. "So, Erick. What do you think?"

Erick, who was extinguishing the fire and drowning the coals, glanced up. "You see how close those two are," he answered, simply. "And I don't think it's because Jay can't see. They're genuinely fond of each other now. In fact, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if tonight they..."

Bray finished the sentence. "Became intimate?"

Erick nodded. "Perhaps we'll find out tonight whether or not Jay's a screamer."

Bray snorted in laughter. "You've always been short, sweet and to the point, Erick."

"You wouldn't want me any other way."

~~~ANGEL~~~

Jay had changed into his sleep clothes and was sitting on the bed when Luke entered the bedroom. He smiled softly. "Hey."

Jay's voice was soft, shy. "Hey yourself."

Luke sat down at the foot of the bed and placed something in Jay's lap. "I have something for you."

The older blonde tipped his head quizzically as he ran his fingers across what Luke had just given him. Carefully, he picked up one of the objects (there were four total) and held it up to his face. It was bright red, slightly rough in texture, and curved on the top and bottom. He felt something frilly and rough on the top. He brought the object to his nose and sniffed. It smelled fresh and sweet, slightly fruity.

"So...what did you bring me?"

"Take a bite out of it," Luke urged Jay, gently.

Jay took a careful bite. Whatever he'd just bitten into tasted juicy and sweet. He chewed, swallowed, and recognized what he was eating. "You brought me strawberries? We didn't pick strawberries up at the store, did we?"

"No. There's a patch of wild ones on the property. I'll have to take you over there. It's kinda cool. No matter how many berries you pick out of the patch, the patch never seems to run out."

"Well, I'll be damned. That's..." Jay tried to find the appropriate words. "Sweet. I like it...I like them." It felt odd, being fed strawberries like this. It made him feel more feminine than he was comfortable with. But then he chastised himself for the thought. Luke was kind enough to bring him something, and he was being a gentleman about it. Worrying about such a sweet gesture being a threat to his manhood was ridiculous.

So, he gave Luke a genuine smile and let the big man feed him the little fruits. "Thank you."

"Thought you'd like 'em," Luke smiled in return. "And you're welcome."

"Hey, uhmm...I had a really good time today."

"Thanks. I'm glad you did." After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Luke climbed off the bed. "I'm gonna get ready for bed, if that's okay."

"No," Jay stopped him. "Don't go. Take your shoes off. I want you here. Lay with me."

Jay shifted on the bed so as to make himself more comfortable and to give Luke some extra room. Once Luke took off his shoes and socks and situated himself on the bed, the older blonde moved closer. He hesitated for a moment...and then he draped one arm around the big man's neck.

Luke's pulse quickened as he gazed down at Jay. "What are you doing?"

"Call it my way of saying _Thank You,_ for everything you've done for me," Jay answered back, his voice soft. A mischievous twinkle appeared in Jay's eyes, and a dorky little grin appeared on his lips as he lifted his other hand and rested it against the side of Luke's face. Gently, he guided Luke's face down to his, and the gap between their lips closed. Jay lowered his eyelids as he pressed his lips against Luke's.

It felt like time had stopped. Underneath that unruly beard, Luke's lips were warm and plush and soft. To Jay, it felt like a million butterflies had just taken flight inside of him the moment he'd kissed the First Son. Luke felt fireworks. He felt like he'd been hit in the head with a tire-iron. He felt the same rush of adrenaline that would course through his veins if he'd stepped in front of an 18-wheeler on a dark stretch of highway.

They pulled away then. Luke was barely able to breathe as he studied Jay's face and silently questioned his demeanor. Jay gazed down at the red and black bedclothes, a soft blush rising in his cheeks.

Luke was the first to speak. "Something the matter?"

"You tickle," Jay answered, bluntly.

Luke couldn't stop himself. "Get used to it."

"I think I'll have plenty of time to get used to it," Jay chuckled, as he cupped Luke's cheek in his smaller hand. As he ran his fingers down Luke's jaw and ears, it occurred to him that he felt... _small..._ compared to the First Son. Jay knew that his own hands were larger than those of many of his colleagues, so compared to Luke, he was suddenly felt...what was the word? Vulnerable? Fragile? Precious? Perhaps it was _cherished._ Whatever the word was, it was that in the best, most positive connotation possible.

And he liked that feeling.

Jay tipped his face upwards for another kiss, but this time it was Luke who took the lead. He pressed his lips softly against Jay's and kissed the older blonde, his gestures cautious, like he was approaching a frightened kitten. Jay's lips were soft and moist, plush and inviting, and Luke could taste the strawberries that Jay had eaten. Jay lowered his eyelids almost demurely, as he tried to study the face of his...well, he couldn't call Luke a companion anymore, could he?

He sensed Luke's hesitation after the First Son pulled away. "It's okay, Luke," he said, softly. "I want this. And I'm not gonna break."

That seemed to assure the big man, and Luke nuzzled Jay's neck, inhaling his scent. Jay's skin smelled clean. Luke could catch a whiff of ginger, juniper, orange, the remnants of the soap he'd bathed with. He went for another kiss; this one a bit deeper, and he let his hands slide beneath Jay's arms so that they rested at the small of the older blonde's back.

A sly smile crept across Jay's lips as he lay his hands on Luke's chest. "Feels like I'm snuggling up with a grizzly bear."

Luke cocked a glossy eyebrow. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It's a good thing," Jay smiled, nuzzling Luke's beard. "A very, very good thing..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the lights in the hallway flickering and swaying back and forth. Shadows danced across the room and Jay tensed. "Who's out there?" he squeaked.

Luke sighed in mild exasperation and glanced towards the doorway. "Bray!" he exclaimed. "If that's you, go away! We're fine." The shadows and swaying lights retreated. "Well, then. Where were we?"

Jay placed his hand back on Luke's chest. "I think we were talking about snuggling up with a grizzly bear. In this case, it's a very, very good thing—oh, yeah. Right there!"

Jay shuddered as Luke's hand ventured towards his inner thigh. His heart began to pound, as he surrendered himself to his...lover? He felt those big hands glide up his torso and ease his black sleep shirt up and over his head. Jay's fingers nimbly slid Luke's flannel shirt off his shoulders. Luke removed his wifebeater so that he too was bare-chested.

Luke dropped a line of kisses along Jay's neck, across his collarbone and down his chest. Jay sighed and felt his pulse race as he felt the big man's hot breath on his neck and felt Luke's hair trail across his skin. His fingernails bit gently into Luke's flesh; Luke growled softly before Jay hushed him with another kiss and leaned back in the hopes that Luke would follow him; he did. Jay tensed up when Luke's big fingers slipped beneath the fabric of his pajama pants. But it wasn't fear that made his muscles tighten. It was anticipation. Excitement. Desire.

"Luke?" Jay reached up to brush the big man's hair from his face. "Remember what you said to me after Bray brought me back up here? You didn't want me to say I love you unless I absolutely wanted to say it, and unless I absolutely meant it."

Luke let a smile spread across his lips, and his eyes twinkled. Something told him that he wouldn't need to sleep on the cot anymore. "Yeah. So soon?"

Jay shrugged. "Well...yeah. I absolutely want to say this, and I absolutely mean it." The older blonde twined his fingers into Luke's hair and guided their lips back together, but not before he said, "I love you, Luke Harper."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: And there it is! My first slash makeout scene. If it sucked, a big fat SORRY! And BTW, I don't write lemons. If you want lemons, go to the supermarket and pick some up in the produce department.**

 **Growing up, I remember the Seeburg jukeboxes that were EVERYWHERE. Restaurants, bowling alleys, truck stops. You name it, they were there. I never liked pop music, and like my Luke, I gravitated towards the classic rock. Here's the list of the classic rock songs that Luke probably listened to while traveling with his dad during his summers as a kid:**

 **Feel Like Making Love - Bad Company  
Rock Steady - Bad Company  
Can't Get Enough – Bad Company  
Seagull - Bad Company  
Baby Hold On - Eddie Money  
I'll Still Be Loving You - Led Zeppelin  
Roll Me Away - Bob Seeger  
Main Street - Bob Seeger  
Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band  
Miracles – Jefferson Starship  
With Your Love – Jefferson Starship  
Count On Me – Jefferson Starship  
How Long - Ace  
Lying Eyes - Eagles  
New Kid In Town – Eagles  
Seven Bridges Road – Eagles  
One Of These Nights - Eagles  
Flirtin' With Disaster - Molly Hatchett  
Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd  
I Need You - Lynyrd Skynyrd  
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd  
After Midnight (1988 version) - Eric Clapton  
Green Grass And High Tides – Outlaws  
There Goes Another Love Song - Outlaws  
Heard It In A Love Song - Marshall Tucker Band  
Love Is Alive - Gary Wright  
Dream Weaver – Gary Wright  
Straight On – Heart  
Magic Man - Heart  
Wheel In The Sky - Journey  
Stay With Me - Faces  
Stumbling In - Suzi Quattro & Chris Norman  
I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren  
The Things We Do For Love - 10 CC  
Bad Time To Be In Love – Grand Funk Railroad  
Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult  
Fooled Around And Fell In Love - Elvin Bishop  
You're My Best Friend - Queen  
Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John  
Dreams - Allman Brothers Band  
Midnight Rider - Allman Brothers Band**

 **Live In Fear and Everything He Says Is True were the two stories from theytalktome that were the basis for the makeout scene.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	13. Heal Me: Chapter Seven

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This chapter's gonna be a bit short. In the next installment, well...there's going to be a few tweaks to what I'd originally planned. Let's just say that Jay's not ready to retire yet, and he and the other Wyatts will find the perfect way to spread their message and drag the WWE, kicking and screaming, into a new era. Gotta admit that this one will be easier to write, because I'll only be rewriting one year of WWE history.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters in this story. If I haven't provided proper credit for something, PLEASE, PLEASE...tell me! I'll be happy to fix things if necessary.**

 ** _Heal Me: Chapter Seven_**

" _This life is for loving, sharing, learning, smiling, caring, forgiving, laughing, hugging, helping, dancing, wondering, healing, and even more loving. I choose to live life this way. I want to live my life in such a way that when I get out of bed in the morning, the devil says, 'aw sh*t, he's up!"_  
― _Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience_

" _And so I wait. I wait for time to heal the pain and raise me to me feet once again - so that I can start a new path, my own path, the one that will make me whole again."_  
― _Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II_

Jay let out a soft sigh as Luke's firm, strong hands massaged at his tired shoulders.

"I wish you didn't have to go back to Tampa." There was a hint of melancholy in Luke's deep voice.

"I have to," Jay explained, leaning back slightly. He and Luke were on the porch, watching the clouds gather in the west. "I need to get everything in order before I move out here for good. I have to sell my house. I have to re-home my cats. I have to go through what I want to bring up here. I have to put things in storage." Jay turned to face Luke, and then ran his fingers gently across the big man's face. "But I'll be back as soon as I can."

It had taken two hours on the phone earlier in the day, not to mention a considerable number of charges to Jay's credit card, but his arrangements were already underway. Jay's house/pet sitter (as well as her daughter) would take his cats. A moving company would pack Jay's things and place them in secure storage a week after Jay arrived in Tampa. He figured it would give him plenty of time to go through whatever he needed to and decide what to keep, what to throw away, and what to sell.

He'd gotten in touch with a realtor in his area, who was happy to put his house up on the market, with the provision that the house NOT become a rental property. The realtor expected the place to sell by the end of the year.

It wasn't often that problems could be fixed by throwing some money at them. This was one of those rare occasions.

It was now the second week in September. Jay's eyesight had returned to normal weeks before. His health had been restored; he'd gotten slightly out of shape during his extended stay, but as soon as he was able, Jay helped Bray and the others around the property. Eventually, his strength and stamina returned as a result of the manual labor, and eventually, he'd start his in-ring training again and hopefully return to the WWE.

Jay had either read or heard the entire Scriptures by now, parts of them many times through. And he still found more things to study, to question, to learn. If he was supposed to be a creator, and an agent of change who brought down the fist and united the masses, he was determined to learn as much as possible in preparation for that role.

He had nightmares every so often, and he'd screamed himself awake on more than one occasion. And sometimes, his heart would begin to race when he was by himself, and it looked like walls or objects were moving closer towards him, making him feel trapped and defenseless. He'd find something to curl up next to for security; the corner of a couch, a wall, a pillow. Sometimes, he'd cover himself up almost completely with a blanket to feel safe. They were souvenirs of an ordeal that broke him, and ultimately fixed him, in more ways than he could imagine.

But emotionally, Jay knew he was getting there. His priorities-and his life-were simpler than he'd allowed them to become. He now had an appreciation for the simpler things in life. A warm room and soft bed. Three meals a day. Hot showers, books, a radio. Sunrises and thunderstorms and sunsets. Running around doing errands. Intelligent discussions and funny stories around a bonfire. Jay was talking more. Laughing more. Smiling more. He was much closer to the Lord now than he was when he'd first arrived. He had a mission. A sense of purpose. And more importantly, he'd found a place he belonged. He'd found his family.

And he found someone he loved, someone genuinely who loved him back and made him feel safe, happy, loved and desirable. To think that he and Luke had instilled those feelings in each other was a bit odd, but a good odd. One that he wouldn't trade for anything material.

He was reflecting on these changes when the weather abruptly turned. It wasn't another thunderstorm on the horizon, not this time. Dark clouds began to billow from the west. A sudden chill bit through the misty, humid air as a cold wind gusted across the compound and the wild green countryside. The cold was so sudden and so intense that Jay had to go inside to find a jacket.

When Jay returned to the porch, the shadows were gathering; night was close at hand. Then the storm struck. Lightning flashed across the sky, making it look almost as bright as day. The thunder that rolled through the sky was so deep and so loud, it felt like the very air was vibrating. There was just a smattering of rain, and briefly, Jay wondered if all that buildup was for nothing.

He was about to be proven wrong.

The hail began to fall, much like the water did during the monsoon thunderstorms. The skies opened and practically vomited cold, hard and jagged chunks of ice onto the ground. Eventually, he and Luke decided to head inside to watch the spectacle through the living room window. In the safety of the big, cluttered house, the two of them watched the storm unfold, the hail creating a tremendous racket as it landed. It came down so hard, Jay feared that it would punch holes into the roof of the house.

Once the storm passed, Jay cautiously stepped back out onto the porch. The green landscape was covered with a layer of hail that made it look like winter. He ventured off the porch and found that the ground that wasn't touched by the hail was slippery and wet. The air was chilly, and Jay shivered as he returned to the safety of the house. Summer had officially ended in one fell swoop.

As he stared across the drastically changed landscape, Jay thought it was a metaphor for what he'd gone through at the hands of the Wyatts.

Jay had come a long way in the two and a half months he'd been on the compound. He'd arrived against his will to the place his companion and lover called home. Now, here he was, standing on the porch of a weathered old house in the Louisiana backwoods, staring out onto the distance, and feasting his eyes on the wild beauty of the countryside. He leaned back slightly, enjoying the warmth that Luke had to offer. A contented smile creased his lips.

His place in Tampa felt like it was a world away…and he no longer missed it.

This was now his home.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This one was a bit short, but sweet. Thanks to all of you who reviewed and critiqued my story. I didn't think I'd get so attached to Jay and Luke like this, but I'm glad I did.**

 **Once again, a million THANKS to theytalktome for allowing me to use her work as the inspiration and backstory for this series. Her work called** ** _Live In Fear_** **inspired this last chapter.**

 **Thanks again to everyone who's read this series, and I'll see you soon!:)**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	14. Follow Me: Chapter One

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: First of all, a big THANK YOU to those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this series. It means a lot to me, because writing is my passion.**

 **This is Book Three of my** ** _Angel In The Dirt_** **series, featuring Jay/Christian and his journey with the Wyatts. Book One was told from Jay's perspective. Book Two was Luke's perspective. Book Three is Bray's story. This will cover the weeks that Daniel was part of the Wyatts.**

 **Originally, I was planning on this installment being Jay's decision (in my story, anyway!) to postpone his retirement after learning of Vince's plan to break up the Wyatt's and bury them to protect his cash cow, John Cena. However, after watching the Wyatt/Daniel Bryan feud, I've decided that there's a bit more mileage in this series before we get to that point. Normally, I don't like writing series, or sequels, because sequels (with the exception of the Lord Of The Rings movie trilogy and Harry Potter series) tend to lose their quality after a few installments.**

 **And all of this was spawned from a series of one-shots!:)**

 **Which reminds me...**

 **DISCLAIMERS (And I will only type this out once): NOT MY CHARACTERS (except for my OC's, which not surprisingly, will be quiet for this installment). This series was based on and inspired by the Jay/Wyatt one-shot series written by theytalktome on FFDN, AKA Valiumforaviper on Deviant Art, and ItsBeckettBitch on Twitter, and it's used with permission from the author!**

 **Sermons, promos, etc, are courtesy of cagematch dot net, their extensive promo database, and webmaster Philip Kreikenbohm, along with onlineonslaught dot com and other sources that I'll be happy to cite if necessary. Match descriptions, if necessary, are courtesy of wrestleview dot com and Wikipedia.**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter One_**

" _Transformation is my favorite game and in my experience, anger and frustration are the result of you not being authentic somewhere in your life or with someone in your life. Being fake about anything creates a block inside of you. Life can't work for you if you don't show up as you."_  
― _Jason Mraz_

 _From the word_ Go, _I've been trying my hardest to spread my message in the WWE. But up until Jay joining my flock, it was largely hit or miss. Jay was the jewel in my crown. He was of course, was an extreme case, and if you're reading this, then you're already familiar with his story. He would have been a suicide statistic had my family and I not intervened._

 _Kane, Kofi Kingston and The Miz...those didn't stick._

 _CM Punk...suffice it to say that he was a selfish, self-centered Straightedged hypocrite, and I was glad to see him take his ball and go home._

 _Daniel Bryan...sigh. So much potential. He was an underdog in need of guidance. In need of a family, a message, a purpose. But at the end, you couldn't describe that situation without using the word_ cluster _in it somewhere._

 _I wanted to save Daniel from himself, like I'd saved Jay Reso._

 _Daniel wasn't suicidal by any stretch, but I could sense his despair and heartache. I wanted to give him a place where he belonged, far from the Authority, and their influence. The Authority would never let him succeed, and I knew that. Everyone around him knew that. But with us, he would be safe. He'd be loved. He'd grow in knowledge, and eventually, he would be able to spread my message, like the others in my flock._

 _Of course, my methods were unorthodox (like they usually are), but in the end, he admitted that the Authority's machine would never let him succeed, and he accepted my invitation. He was one of my flock for a few glorious weeks, until he decided to betray me and the others in front of a worldwide audience._

 _Luke warned me. Erick warned me. Even Jay warned me. But I chose not to pay attention to their warnings. Long story short, Daniel Bryan made a mockery of the message I've been trying to spread through the WWE._

 _Where I come from, being a traitor is a sin of the highest order. Daniel Bryan didn't expose me in the steel cage the night he turned his back on the family. He only exposed himself. Because only a coward would use his free wings to fly right back into the cage he came out of. The fans who cheered him and rewarded him for his betrayal were nothing but animals. Mindless sheep who only looked up to him because they chose to kneel._

 _Pity those poor, misguided, misunderstood souls. Maybe some of them were salvageable. Maybe not._

 _I hoped that Daniel went home that night, hugged his mom, told her he loved her, and told her he was sorry. Because everything that happened to him afterwards...he brought on himself._

 _So, this story is about how I tried to save another soul. But it's not about how I failed with the one man I wanted. It's about how I_ succeeded _with the ones I already had_.

 _After Jay went back to Florida to settle his affairs, I had a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. What if he was just going through the motions of being part of the family? What if he went right back to the dark place he was at before we found him? What if, after everything we did, after all the efforts we made, he went right out and killed himself?_

 _What if...what if...what if…?_

 _Well, after what Daniel Bryan did to humiliate us, those_ what if's _were unfounded._

 _Sometimes you need failures in your life so you can better appreciate the successes. What Erick and Luke and I did for Jay Reso was the greatest success of all._

 _And it had to take a failure with the magnitude of Daniel Bryan's for us all to see it._

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"We live in a world where false heroism is a sickness and must be dealt with. I know what plagues them, and I hold the cure in the palm of my hand. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down."  
-Bray Wyatt, WWE Smackdown 11/1/13_

 _RAW 12/30/13 -  
Richmond, Virginia_

 _"There's a place in the meadow,  
A place you can hide.  
Walk with the reaper,  
Leave this world behind..." _

Bray sung softly into the microphone he held in his hand as he gazed down at the fallen Daniel Bryan. Across from him stood Erick and Luke, whose poker faces easily concealed their anticipation. It was now or never. If Bray couldn't bring Bryan into his fold now, then there would be no more chances.

His own words rattled around in his head; _I've done horrible things to people in the name of cause. I justified it because I told myself that it was for the greater good. I was brutal, I was unconventional, but if I could make someone see the light at the end, then it was all worth it._

The Eater of Worlds spoke again, in a more serious tone. "I'm afraid, Bryan," he announced. "This is where our story ends. I have no mercy left to give! It could have been _different,_ it could have been _better, it could have been perfect!"_ His voice rose as he continued to speak, and there was a sense of urgency in his words. He paced the ring like a giant cat, shaking his head in disappointment. "Well now, this is _your_ fault. I'm gonna punish you. I want you to open your eyes."

Bray grabbed a bunch of Daniel's hair in his hamlike fist and pulled his head up. "Open your eyes and look at your dismay!" he shouted, dropping to his knees. "Open your eyes, Bryan!" he continued, and he giggled in spite of himself. "This is the end."

Daniel fixed his dazed eyes upon the Wyatt's patriarch. His voice was faint. "You're...you're right."

Bray smiled inwardly. Had he finally convinced Daniel of the futility of fighting the Authority? He had to be sure. "Say it again!" he demanded, shoving the microphone in Daniel's face. "Say that again!"

"You're right," Daniel repeated. Bray let go of Daniel's hair and his soon-to-be convert dropped face first onto the canvas. He was exhausted.

A chant of _No! No! No!_ began to rise from the crowd. Inwardly Bray shook his head. _They don't understand what I'm trying to do,_ he sighed to himself.

He crouched down and got right into Daniel's face. "Say it again! Stand up and say it again, Daniel! Say it!"

Daniel stretched out his hand and tried to grab the mic from Bray's hand. Bray pulled it away. If Daniel wanted to speak, then he had to put forth the effort. "You want this? You want this? Then say it, Daniel! Say it!" A moment passed, and then Bray realized that Daniel was too beaten down and exhausted to get up, so he finally put the mic into Daniel's hand and climbed to his feet. "Come on! Say it!"

Daniel locked eyes with the Eater of Worlds. "You're right," he sighed, as a beatific grin spread across Bray's face.

"You were always right," he continued. "No matter how many matches I won, no matter how loud these people cheered for me, you were always right. No matter how many matches I won...no matter how loud these people cheered for me...you were always right. The machine...the machine would never let me win. No matter how loud you people chanted. You chanted _Yes!_ in every building I've ever been to and they don't care."

Daniel looked up at his twisted savior, as the crowd shouted and jeered in surprise. "I'm yours," he said, his voice thick with resignation. "Let me join...your family."

The Eater of Worlds stretched his hand out, beaming like a proud papa. "I always have a home for you, Daniel."

Daniel reached out with his own hand, intending to grasp the hand of Eater of Worlds. But at the last second, Bray jerked his hand away and kicked Daniel in the ribs, sending him toppling sideways onto the canvas. He stepped back several feet and spread his arms out to the side, like a crucifix.

"Then you better start crawling. Crawl, Daniel! C'mon! Crawl!"

Daniel half-crawled, half dragged himself forward slowly, laboriously, across the canvas. Bray stood only ten feet away from him, but to the beat-down combatant, he was miles away. "Is this what you want?" Bray shouted, in an odd form of encouragement. "Is this what you desire? Come on. What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, DANIEL? COME ON!"

It took some time, but eventually, Daniel managed to reach Bray, and he grabbed a handful of Bray's pants to pull himself up to his knees and held his arms out to the side. Bray felt an odd sense of _Déjà vu_ as he crouched down and wrapped his arm around Daniel's chest.

 _When did I do this before,_ he wondered with a chuckle, thinking back to the long days of discipline last summer with Jay in the garage.

Bray brushed Daniel's sweaty hair aside and kissed his forehead. "Welcome to the family," he whispered, before he hit Daniel with the finishing move he'd named after the woman he'd loved and lost. Daniel crashed to the canvas in a stunned, sweaty heap.

Bray sunk to his knees and gripped Daniel's hand. "This is forever," he announced, as Luke and Erick drew closer. Daniel could do nothing but nod. "This is going to change everything."

And with that, he climbed to his feet and instructed Luke and Eric to help their newest convert out of the ring and help him up the ramp. He beamed like a new papa as he lead his family backstage. Halfway up the ramp, however, Bray's sons hesitated.

"No!" Daniel insisted. "I can walk." Luke and Erick looked at him with some concern, but kept their distance. They glanced up at Bray, who was nodding and beckoning Daniel with his fingers.

Amidst the chants of his name, as well as a chant of _No! No! No!_ Daniel staggered towards the Wyatt's twisted patriarch, but then he hesitated and turned towards the crowd, as Luke and Erick caught up to their leader on top of the ramp.

Bray could sense his uncertainty. "How far have they gotten you?" he exclaimed. "How far have you got listening to them? Come on, let me show you what you can be! Come on, Bryan! Come on, what are you waiting for? The world is waiting outside."

Silently, he thought, _Come on, Daniel! Don't let them change your mind! Let us help you! Let me heal you!_ Daniel turned to Bray, then to the crowd...and then he turned away to follow his new family backstage.

Bray couldn't stop the grin that spread once again across his face. His family was growing, and he couldn't wait to share his knowledge and love with his newest convert. But as Proverbs says, _Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall._

And that destruction would be swift and painful.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Love these chapters that write themselves. And since today was slow at work, I got it finished sooner than I thought (YAY ME!). Jay wasn't in this chapter, but he will be in the next one.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	15. Follow Me: Chapter Two

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Nothing today!**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One. Online Onslaught and Wikipedia provided some of the match play by play.**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter Two_**

" _One day you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be family."_  
― _Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything Is Illuminated_

 _"Send us someone. Just don't send us anyone you want back."_  
― _Luke Harper, RAW 5/27/13_

With his head down, and his hair covering his face, Daniel let himself be escorted by Bray down the hallway backstage. Luke and Erick brought up the rear, to ensure that their newest convert wouldn't try to bolt. The whispering and bits of hushed conversation buzzed through the air like a swarm of locusts, and Daniel found the noise difficult to ignore.

Even more difficult to ignore were the words that Bray was uttering to his newest addition; "We all must learn to survive in a world as wicked as this one, Daniel. The world casts people like us out, tosses them aside like we're bags of trash. But I take them in, I embrace them, and I give them a sense of purpose. We grow together, and we unite together as brothers and sisters in the name of cause. You'll be safe with us. You'll enter the lion's den as a man, and you'll emerge a monster that's ready to take on and change the world. Just like the rest of us."

Daniel shivered.

The ragtag group made their way to an empty locker room. Having your own space was an unintentional perk of being one of the most feared groups in the WWE, and Bray considered himself and the rest of his family fortunate that the room they used tonight was clean and modern, with hot water and fresh towels.

A blonde man leaned against the doorway, smirky and tousle-haired, his tall gangly frame half-in and half-out of the private room. He wore a pair of faded green pants, brown workboots, and a blue denim shirt that had the sleeves ripped off it. His muscled arms were folded across his chest, and his blue eyes were narrow and piercing. He looked like a man who was willing to fight with his nails, as well as his fists and feet, if he absolutely had to. This man looked familiar, and Daniel wondered where he'd seen him before.

Bray spoke the man's name kindly. "Jay."

Jay Reso grinned. His smile grew wider as he approached Daniel, who looked uncomfortable and resigned. Placing a big hand on his back, he said, "Welcome to the family."

Daniel glanced down silently at his boots.

"Help your new brother wash up and change his clothes," Bray instructed his blonde convert. "We'll have a late supper, and then we'll hit the road."

"Of course." Jay ushered him into the locker room. Even though the showers were semi-private, Bray wanted Erick and Luke to wait until Jay and Daniel were occupied, so they hung back until they heard running water before they entered to take their respective showers.

Jay turned on the water and adjusted the temperature. "Take off your gear and wash up," he ordered Daniel. His manner at the moment was blunt and all-business. He and his brothers had to hit the road soon.

"Come on, Daniel. It's nothing I haven't seen already," Jay pressed on, when Daniel hesitated.

As Daniel peeled off his boots, his trunks and the rest of his wrestling gear, he could sense an aura about the older blonde that read, _I'm stronger than you, Daniel, and don't ever forget that. Sure, you're willing to talk the talk, but you'd better be willing to walk the walk. When it comes to this family, you're the low man on the totem pole until you prove yourself trustworthy._

The steamy hot water washed over Daniel's hair and ran down his body as he stepped into the spray. Keeping his eyes averted—he didn't want Daniel any more uncomfortable than he already was—Jay handed him a wash rag and bottle with a blue and white label on it. The cap on the bottle was popped open, and Daniel could smell peppermint.

Jay answered Daniel's question before it was even asked. "It's Castile soap. Has tons of uses. You don't need that much."

"Where are my things?" Daniel asked, his voice wary.

"I collected them earlier. They're already packed." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Now quit stalling and wash yourself. All over."

Daniel shuddered as goosebumps rose on his arms. Avoiding Jay's piercing gaze as much as he could, he turned towards the tile wall and began to bathe. He washed as quickly as he could, scrubbing the Castile soap through his hair and beard (Jay instructed him to water it down; using it straight out of the bottle left the hair feeling and looking greasy), and lathering up his body before standing under the hot spray of water again to rinse off.

When he finished, Jay handed him a fluffy towel, a comb, and a tube of leave-in conditioner. "Now dry off and comb this into your hair," he instructed, stepping out of the way and turning his eyes away so that Daniel could have a semblance of privacy. "Your beard, too. Don't want your hair turning into a rat's nest." Jay motioned to his left. "Your clothes are on the bench."

As he dried off and combed out his hair, Daniel gazed down blankly at the clothing on the small wooden bench. There was underwear, socks, tennis shoes, and a pair of blue coveralls. They were all clean, and the coveralls smelled of fabric softener.

A lump rose in Daniel's throat as he dressed. All he'd wanted was a chance to go one-on-one with Bray tonight and take him apart for everything that he'd been put through the past several weeks. But Brad Maddox (that smarmy little punk) had to turn the opportunity into a gauntlet match of sorts, so that he could make himself look good in front of his bosses. _Thanks a lot, Maddox!_ Daniel thought bitterly, as he tied his shoes. _I'm stuck in a cult because you had to suck up to your bosses._

 _You bastard!_

~~~ANGEL~~~

The Wyatt's vehicle was an old but well-kept Winnebago parked at the very end of the lot. Daniel was led into a bedroom so small, there was barely enough room for him to turn around and was instructed to sit down on the bed.

"Don't stray," Jay ordered the new convert, before he exited the RV. Daniel heard a door slam, and then the click of a lock. He then heard Jay speaking to the Wyatt patriarch, and judging by how loud their voices sounded, they were right up against the door to prevent him from escaping:

 _"I wasn't expecting you back until next week, Jay."_

 _"You're not too inconvenienced, are you?"_

 _"Not at all, Jay. In fact, I appreciated the additional help. The boys and I could handle Daniel all by ourselves, but since you're here, it takes quite a bit of stress off."_

 _"I'm family now. Families do for each other. And besides, I had nothing better to do after my house sold three days ago."_

" _Really? Well, congratulations."_

" _Thanks. I attended the closing. Had to make sure the couple that was purchasing the house would agree to not use it as a rental. I even watched them sign all the paperwork."_

 _"Smart move, making sure the new owners don't turn it into a rental. You don't want something you worked so hard for fall into the hands of someone who's irresponsible. Well anyway, I'm glad you're back."_

 _"I'm glad to be back, Bray, even though I'm not performing. I missed you, believe it or not...everyone backstage was looking at me like I'd sprouted horns or something. I can only imagine what they're thinking._ What the hell is Jay Reso doing, hanging around with the Wyatts?"

" _Let them think what they want, Jay. Their opinion means nothing now..."_

Daniel turned away from the conversation. He was beat down and dog-tired, so perhaps a catnap was in order. Wearily, he lay back on the bed and shut his eyes, letting his mind drift off...

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _From the moment they arrived in the WWE, the Wyatts had targeted and attacked countless superstars, including Kane, Kofi Kingston and The Miz, all in the name of spreading Bray's cause, his preachings and his philosophies._

 _In late October, during an episode of RAW, the Wyatts attacked Daniel backstage, and later attacked his friend CM Punk in the ring. With Punk and Daniel watching each other's backs, their fights with Erick, Bray, and Luke continued on RAW and Smackdown, until a match between the teams was made for for Survivor Series._

 _At Survivor Series, Punk and Bryan went up against - and defeated — Luke and Erick. The next night, on RAW, while Punk was attacked by The Shield (under orders from Triple H, the COO), the Wyatts capitalized on the moment and kidnapped Daniel. Their success was short-lived however, when Daniel escaped. The boys had forgotten that their rental car had an emergency trunk latch on the inside, and Daniel simply popped open the trunk and bailed at the first opportunity._

 _In spite of this setback, the assaults continued. Bray was determined to make Daniel his next son, and he'd do whatever it took to ensure that the WWE's resident underdog joined the fold. He congratulated Daniel on his win over Fandango, and then he painted himself and Bryan as kindred spirits. He underestimated Bryan after seeing him on TV, he told Daniel, doting over his little girlfriend, buying her diamonds and whatnot._

" _They look at you like you're some circus clown," Bray pointed out. "They look at you like a gorilla in a cage, Son." He even went so far as to ask Daniel how long he could continue to put up with "their" world, and to care about that universe, while pretending not to notice that "they" didn't want him sullying "their" red carpets. "They can't love you like I can," Bray pressed on, extending an invitation to join his family._

 _Daniel, of course, wanted no part of it, and the stalking and assaults escalated. At TLC, Daniel faced the Wyatts in a three on one handicap match. Halfway during the action, Bray offered another invitation. Daniel, of course, refused, and Bray's "sons" dispatched of him shortly after._

 _By the time RAW in Richmond, Virginia rolled around, both Wyatt and Daniel were at the ends of their respective ropes. Each was running out of patience with the other. Daniel was ready to take Bray apart for all the torment. Bray was going to ensure that Daniel joined his family._

 _Failure was not an option for either man._

 _Angrily, Daniel stormed into the office of General Manager Brad Maddox, who was bragging to Triple H and his wife that he had everything under control (they were in agreement) and demanded a match with Bray Wyatt. Instead of granting Daniel his wish, Maddox, always looking to impress the Authority, insisted that he would have to earn the opportunity in a gauntlet match. First, he would face Luke Harper. If he won, he'd face Erick Rowan. And if he won again, then and only then would he be able to face Bray Wyatt. Daniel, desperate for some payback, accepted the challenge._

 _Luke gave Daniel everything he could handle, but Daniel managed to eke out a victory. However, it took nearly twenty minutes to put the Big Rig away, and it left Daniel exhausted._

 _Erick pounced on Daniel like a giant cat in the beginning of his match and manhandled him until both of them were outside the ring. And then Erick picked Daniel up like he was a sack of laundry and chucked him into and over the announce table. Daniel looked down and out, and Erick gazed down at him proudly before completely dominating the smaller competitor and climbing onto the top rope to deliver a fallaway slam. However, Erick took too much time celebrating the impressive move, leading to Daniel reaching up to roll him up for a surprise pin._

 _After the match an embarrassed Erick tried to continue a beatdown on Bryan until Luke dove into the ring to pull him away. It created the impression that Bray wanted to do this one-on-one._

 _Then Bray climbed into the ring. He circled Daniel like a shark circling a life raft...and then signaled for Luke and Erick to attack._

 _Bray had no intention of going one-on-one with Daniel. He was counting on his sons to take the fight out of his would-be-convert so that Daniel would be left with no other option but to join the family. It was a long-shot, he knew...but if he could bring Daniel Bryan into the fold, then it would all be worth it._

~~~ANGEL~~~

Daniel was vaguely aware of the others climbing into the RV in preparation for their trip to the next venue. He dozed, not really slipping into a deep sleep, because he was still in shock over his situation. Which explained why he was jolted awake by the feel of something being wrapped around his ankle, and the soft sound of something metallic clinking. His eyes flew open. Jay was looming over Daniel, wrapping a steel cuff around his ankle. The cuff was attached to a long chain that ran across the floor of the RV to an unknown source.

" _What the hell are you doing?!"_ Daniel gasped in horror.

"Sorry, Daniel," Jay said, quietly. "We can't take any chances of you bolting. In case you try to bail, the chain's connected to an eyebolt beneath the cabinets along the floor. And there's a padlock on that end, so don't get any ideas. It's long enough that you can walk around in here, but no further."

"But I'm part of your family!" Daniel insisted, his eyes pleading. "You don't need to do this!"

"I know you are," Jay assured him. "But we can't that risk." Bray and the others had learned plenty from the botched kidnapping several weeks ago. And they knew how fast Daniel could be in the ring, so this time around, they were taking as many precautions as possible.

"So, will I have to jump through hoops before you guys let me off the leash?" Daniel questioned his captor, a sarcastic tone to his voice.

"Hey," Jay chastised gently, as he sat down on the bed next to the new convert. "Don't get smart with us. All you have to do is show us that you can be trusted. Then we'll decide if it's time to unlock you."

The words weren't spoken, but Daniel sensed the message as he nodded his head. _Be good, and you'll be rewarded. We can be generous and kind, but you have to earn it. And once we give you some freedoms, you owe us your obedience._

The RV rolled out of its parking space and rumbled onto the street.

~~~ANGEL~~~

Bray (who was driving) pulled into the parking lot of some truck stop halfway between Richmond and Washington DC so that he and his sons could eat. Supper was decent, but nothing to write home about. Chicken pot pies from KFC, iced tea and dessert. The Wyatts ate like they were starving. Daniel ate, but he didn't taste much; he just pushed the food down like he was shoveling coal into a furnace.

As he ate, Daniel watched the others interact. The Wyatts had the appearance of sweaty, unhygienic grunge rats in the ring, and he assumed they'd all smell the same way. But they _didn't._ Their clothes looked faded and old, but they were _clean._ Their hair and beards were untamed, but clean as well. And sure, they'd smelled a little sweaty earlier tonight, but that was merely from in-ring exertion and not because they didn't bathe.

And what made things more odd was that compared to the others, Jay was much more clean-cut. Sure he had unruly hair and a beard (a Vandyke, to be precise), but his was nowhere near the detonations of hair on Bray and his other two sons.

So, Daniel asked the obvious question while Jay was bringing him dessert, one of those Little Bucket parfaits with the chocolate pudding and whipped cream. "Why don't you have a beard like the others?"

Jay's answer was short, sweet, and to the point. "Because Luke likes me like this."

"What do you mean, _Luke likes me like this?"_

Jay gazed over towards Luke, who had just glanced up from his meal. Daniel could catch the affectionate gaze both in Jay's eyes and in Luke's. The older blonde didn't need to say the words; his facial expressions spoke volumes.

"Oh...OH!" Daniel shuddered. Reso and Harper... _lovers?_ He couldn't wrap his head around it. "Uhmmm….why? How?" he sputtered.

"Long story. But suffice it to say that he helped put me back together when I was at my lowest and least. Him and Bray. Erick too. They brought me down to the very dust and then built me back up."

 _You sound like a head case! Of course, coming from some guy who owns five cats, that's no surprise!_ Daniel wanted to say, but he remained silent. No point in antagonizing the blonde cult member.

Jay, however, sensed Daniel's suspicion. "I know that sounded crazy, but that's how Bray would put it," he shrugged. "I'll put that to you in a different way. Bray and the others found me when I was planning take my own life. It was a lot of tough love, but when it was all over, it was like I was reborn. I owe them my loyalty, and my life."

"Did Bray do the same thing to you? Kidnap you? Chain you up like a dog?"

Jay turned away so that Daniel couldn't see the look of fear that flashed across his face. That question brought up some memories that he wasn't ready to face yet:

 _-Jay's heart began to race, and a jolt of adrenaline surged through his body in preparation for a flight-or-fight response. Frantically, he twisted his hands this way and that, and tried to move them back and forth in an effort to slip the cuffs off his hands. But his hands were too big, and the cuffs were too snug. They weren't going anywhere, and neither was Jay-_

He took a moment to compose himself and pressed his lips into a tight line before answering. His voice was quiet, his expression unreadable. "He did what he had to do."

Daniel decided not to press for any details. Instead, he asked a more easily answered (he thought, anyway) question. "Why does he want me then? Why do you guys want me in your family?"

"Do you hear how loud the people chant for you?" Jay asked. Daniel nodded. "They chant for you, they shout YES, YES YES! Where do those chants lead you? What do they do for you?" When Daniel didn't answer, Jay continued. "I can answer that for you real easy. Nowhere, and nothing.

"And don't get me started on the Authority." Jay let out a derisive little snort. "They were against you since the day they took over. Every time you tried to stand up to them, they always punished you for it. If they genuinely liked you and wanted you to succeed, then they would have listened to what you had to say and engage in some kind of discussion. They would have given you what you wanted and made a one-on-one match with you and Bray. They never would have made you compete in that gauntlet match tonight.

"Everyone knows it was a losing battle. At the end of the night, you were left without a choice. You were spinning your wheels and going nowhere. After a while, it gets to you. It tears you apart. I should know. After Edge left the WWE, I was torn apart as well by people I thought were my friends. I was torn apart by upper management.

"Bray broke me and healed me because he didn't want to see me torn apart. Bray doesn't want to see you torn apart, either. He wants to give you the world. He wants to make you part of something significant. A great revival in this world. He wants to give you love and unconditional acceptance. Things that you haven't gotten since you've been here. But you have to trust him."

Jay smiled kindly. "We can be great friends, Daniel. And I can help you. We can help you." He paused and then got up off the bed and dropped a plastic spoon into Daniel's lap before stepping out of the tiny bedroom. "Now come on. Eat your dessert."

Jay shut the door quietly, leaving Daniel with a chain around his ankle, and a jumbled mess of thoughts in his head.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Soooo….not sure if I liked the ending of this chapter. I wrote this chapter like I did so that I could re-introduce Jay as a** _ **bona fide**_ **Wyatt. He's trying his hardest to be kind to Daniel, and if you remember how Daniel's saga with the Wyatt's ended, it'll be pretty heartbreaking later on.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	16. Follow Me: Chapter Three

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I understand that Smackdown for January 3, 2014 was taped on December 28, 2013, but for the sake of the story, it'll be taped on New Year's Eve. Seeing how Brie Bella conducted herself during Daniel's captivity really drove home the fact (for me) that Daniel was playing the Wyatts for fools. Brie WILL make an appearance. Thanks to Dante 101 for mentioning those details.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters. Match play-by-play is courtesy of Wrestleview dot com.**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter Three_**

 _For two glorious weeks, we had a fifth member of our family._

 _I wanted to think that I'd finally unearthed Daniel's ruthless, aggressive side. The side that gets things done and doesn't back down from anyone or anything. I thought I'd found another angel in the dirt. He, along with his new brothers, would work together to bring forth a new era of truth and change._

 _But before I could reintroduce Daniel Bryan to the WWE as my newest son and guide him along his path, I had to make sure he was serious about becoming part of my flock. So, on New Year's Eve, deep in the basement of the venue in Washington DC, I made Daniel kneel in front of me. Erick, Jay and Luke stood behind him as I made him proclaim his loyalty to the family._

 _Now, don't misunderstand me. I didn't force Daniel to completely walk away from his previous life. I just wanted him to get his priorities in order. I wanted Daniel to follow Him. Serve the Lord. Put Him first, and the rest will fall into place. With that mindset, we could take on the world!_

 _But there were a few wrinkles we needed to iron out first. Namely, one wrinkle, who just happened to be Daniel's fiancée._

 _I didn't need to watch that mindless dreck called_ Total Divas _to know that Daniel and Brie Bella were an item. Now I wasn't going to force Daniel to cut her off. Far from it. In fact, I suggested that Daniel call Brie and stay in contact with her. Perhaps we could eventually bring her around to our way of thinking. If Brie was part of that new era that I wanted to help bring about, I reasoned, then who was I to get in the way?_

 _But did Daniel_ really _love her? Or was he in love with the idea of them together? After all,_ Total Divas _was a popular TV show, and the weekly exposure was tempting. And who's to say that Daniel was only with Brie because of the publicity that the show brought? But, that would be something for us all to explore and examine later on. After all, we had all the time in the world._

 _At least, we_ thought _we did._

 _Yeah...for two glorious weeks, we had a fifth member of our family._

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _Smackdown Taping 12/31/13  
Washington DC_

 _After he made Daniel proclaim his loyalty to the Wyatts, and after he allowed the newest Wyatt to call his fiancee, Bray took Daniel back to the RV so that the two of them could begin their studies and get some rest._

 _Before the match with the Rhodes Brothers, Luke, Erick, and Jay gathered in their private locker room and prayed that the match went smoothly and that nobody got seriously injured. After the tag match, the boys would watch fireworks and ring in the New Year and then part company. In the morning, Bray would take his new convert back to the compound while Luke, Erick and Jay traveled with the rest of the roster for house show appearances._

 _Cody Rhodes and and his brother Dustin (aka Goldust) made their way down to the ring to defend their WWE Tag Team Championships. Luke and Erick appeared in the ring after the lights went out. Bray's rocking chair was at ringside, but he wasn't in it. Michael Cole and his colleague, John Bradshaw Layfield, wondered Bray and Daniel were._

" _This is weird, where's Bray Wyatt?"_

" _A more pressing matter, Michael. Where's Daniel Bryan?"_

" _So Harper and Rowan are out here alone to take on the Rhodes Brothers for the Tag Team Championship. Bray Wyatt would normally be in the rocking chair. He's not accompanying the Wyatts here tonight. Daniel Bryan, who joined the Wyatt family Monday night on RAW, is not here either. We can tell you this...apparently, according to Daniel Bryan's fiancée, Brie Bella, she's been in some sort of contact with Daniel this week. Apparently, he's okay, and that's all she really knows. And Goldust starts things off against Harper here tonight…"_

 _Dustin started the match against Luke. The two of them circled the ring before Dustin made a spectacle of himself by rubbing his body and taking a few chops at Luke, who stared at his opponent in disdain and didn't flinch. Dustin ducked a right hand and hit one of his own. Luke powered Dustin to the corner and punched him in the ribs before sending him into the ropes and shoulder blocking him down. The big man taunted Dustin as he climbed to his feet, and he was rewarded by a roundhouse right. Dustin tagged in his younger brother, and the two of them planted Harper into the mat with a double suplex, but didn't get any count from the ref._

 _Luke reversed a whip on Cody, but the younger Rhodes slid through his legs and dropkicked him in the knee. Dustin was tagged in, and he dropped an elbow on Luke before applying a side headlock. Luke managed to fight out of it and raked Dustin across the eyes before he tagged in Erick. Rowan landed a head-butt on Dustin and got in a few hard rights before Dustin returned the favor. Rowan powered him to his corner, and Luke was tagged in again. Luke sent him into the ropes, but he missed a clothesline. Dustin then took him down with a clothesline of his own before hitting him with an uppercut. Dustin then caught him with some punches in the corner. Erick tried to intervene, but Dustin decked him as well. Mistake. Luke retaliated with a vicious forearm to the jaw._

 _Erick was tagged back in, and he dropped a knee on Dustin and forearm shivered him in the chest before whipping him hard into the opposite corner. The impact left Dustin crumpled on the mat. Erick then choked him on the bottom rope before clubbing him on the back and belting him in the corner before tagging in his partner. Luke delivered a hard right to Dustin's face before applying a modified headlock. Dustin tried to break out of the hold, but Luke was relentless. Luke tossed Dustin into his corner and rushed him. He didn't stop in time; Dustin raised a foot and caught the big man between the eyes. Luke staggered and Dustin elbowed Erick in the face before he was able to interfere. Before Luke could recover from the elbow, Dustin attempted a leg trap sunset flip. It was unsuccessful, and both combatants wound up on the mat trying to recover._

 _Luke hurried to tag in Erick, but Dustin was faster, and he tagged Cody in before Luke was halfway to his corner. He nailed Luke with a missile dropkick from the top rope, and then nailed the big man with a few roundhouse rights before missing a clothesline. He didn't miss with a high knee, however, and Luke was left dazed. Another uppercut and a knee to the kidneys sent Luke out of the ring. Erick was taken out by a Disaster Kick that sent him out of the ring as well._

 _Before either of the Wyatts could react, Cody scaled the top rope to take Luke out with a plancha to the outside. Cody was inspired as he attempted to pick Luke up. Mistake. Luke launched the younger Rhodes into the barricade, and then picked him up like he was nothing and tossed him into the steel ring steps. So much for being inspired._

 _Dustin rushed to check on his fallen brother. However, Luke and Erick (who'd jumped off the ring apron) stood together, blocking the older Rhodes's way. It was a Mexican standoff, with nobody backing down, until the referee demanded that one of the combatants get back in the ring._

 _Luke rolled back in, followed by Erick, who climbed back on the ring apron. Luke, the legal man, tagged Erick, who jumped down to the floor. He picked up Cody like he was a child's toy and slammed the younger Rhodes's back into the steel post._

 _Cody crumpled to the arena floor in a heap as the Wyatts, firmly in control, continued to bring on the punishment._

 _Erick rolled Cody back into the ring and attempted a cover, but Cody was able to squirm away at a one-count. However, Cody couldn't get away quickly enough; Erick had his huge, sledgehammer like hands fisted up and squeezed up against the side of Cody's head. Cody yelled in pain. The referee dared to ask Erick if he wanted the bell rung; the hold, if properly applied, could break one's skull. It looked like Rowan was trying to re-arrange Cody's entire face._

 _Dustin shouted encouragement to his little brother from the other side of the ring. It wasn't helping, as Erick planted Cody hard onto the canvas. Cody's back slammed hard into the mat, and he barely kicked out at a two-count. Erick, growing slightly frustrated, dragged the younger Rhodes back to his corner and dropped a hard elbow. The Wyatts' tactics were ugly but effective. They were gleefully mauling the tag champs without Bray in attendance._

 _Cody attempted to fight back with a couple of kicks, but Erick stayed on the attack, backing him into another corner and tossing him back to his own. Luke was tagged in again, and he fixed Dustin with a glare that could break glass before he splashed Cody in the corner. A few more hard rights, and then he executed a gator roll before applying a grounded side headlock. Cody fought up from the move and Luke uppercut him before knocking Dustin off the apron when he tried to intervene. Luke delivered a headbutt to Cody before taking to the ropes. Rhodes hit the ropes alongside him, and he took Luke down with a clothesline._

 _Erick was tagged in, and he tossed Cody across the ring so that he couldn't tag in his brother. Dustin yelled at Erick, daring the Wyatt's loner to take a shot at him. Erick refused to take the bait, and he headbutted Cody in the back of the head. The younger Rhodes fought back, but Erick continued the punishment and shoved him into the ropes and prepared to charge. Cody hung on, however and pulled the top rope down. Erick, unable to stop, tumbled out of the ring. Luke quickly tossed Erick back into the ring and wisely tagged himself in before Cody could reach his brother. Luke punched Dustin off the apron before hitting Cody with a sit-out powerbomb. Dustin broke up the pinfall, and he clotheslined Erick out of the ring as he tried to come in and help. Luke then knocked Dustin out of the ring._

 _Luke sent Cody into the corner, but the younger Rhodes surprised him with a rollup for a near fall. A frustrated Luke then floored Rhodes with a big boot. Harper picked Rhodes up and tossed him in the corner before ripping at his nose. Luke set Cody up on the top rope and clubbed him in the back. Harper went for a super back suplex, but Cody elbowed him off. Cody then took him down with a moonsault block. Luke tagged in Erick before Cody reached his corner. Erick sent him into the ropes, but Cody ducked a clothesline and a hammer throw by Erick before he blind tagged his brother. Erick then caught Cody with a back body drop, but Dustin capitalized on his stealthiness by bouncing Erick into the ropes and rolling him up for the win._

 _After the match, Jay congratulated his "brothers" on a great match, but admonished Erick for his inattentiveness and assumptions. "You assumed that Dustin wasn't planning anything, and he caught you off guard!" he said. "You should never assume, because it makes an ass out of you and me." Of course, Erick protested, but deep down, he and Luke knew the blonde veteran was right._

~~~ANGEL~~~

"Do I have to have a room at the end of the hall?"

"Sorry, Erick," Jay shrugged in apology. He and his brothers were at the hotel the WWE roster was staying at. They'd snuck in under the wire and got the last two vacancies. "They were the last two rooms available, and the only reason why we got them was because the previous reservation for each room fell through. New Year's Eve kinda killed the option of choice. You'll have to make do until morning."

"Or you could bunk with us tonight," Luke chimed in, his eyes twinkling. "We'll just pull the mattress off the box spring and we can sleep three people easy."

Erick looked at his two "brothers," blinked, and then shook his head. "I think I'll pass. Last thing I wanna hear is the two of you going at it like squirrels in a shoebox." He turned on his heel, dragging his suitcase behind him. "Good night, guys," he called out over his shoulder as he rumbled down the hall and disappeared.

When Erick was out of earshot, Jay turned to Luke. "Do we really sound like squirrels in a shoebox?"

Luke was snickering as he unlocked the hotel room he and Jay would be sharing for the night. "I don't know," he managed, escorting Jay into the room. "I don't pay attention to what we sound like when we're in bed..."

~~~ANGEL~~~

"I'm staying at one of those extended stay places right close to the Performance Center," Jay explained later, while he and Luke were watching TV. Nothing of interest was on, so the TV was little more than background noise at the moment. Jay thought he saw some music channels available, perhaps they'd have something worth listening to. "I use the facilities at the center to work out, and I paid for a six month lease at the extended place. The amenities are nice, and I get breakfast and dinner on the weekdays."

"Well, if you wanna come live on the compound, you're more than welcome to. We've been cleaning the place up. Looks really good now. Clearing out trash and whatnot. This spring, we wanna repaint the house."

"I'll wait til after Wrestlemania. I signed a lease. If I break it, I'll get penalized." Jay paused. "It was hard enough to explain to my folks why I sold my place in Tampa and moved. I told them about you guys during Christmas. Didn't tell them about how you guys took me. I just told them I met you and Bray and converted to your religion."

"How'd they take it?"

"My folks are neutral," Jay said, honestly. "They aren't supporting my decision to stay with you guys, but they aren't trying to stop me either. Like everyone else around me, they don't understand."

"Maybe they'll come around."

Jay shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm not gonna spin my wheels trying to convince them that following you guys was a good idea. I didn't bring up the suicide thing. That's not something I'm ready to discuss with my folks yet."

"Hey, whenever you're ready. No pressure." Luke flipped through the TV channels with the remote and grinned when he heard the classic rock music come through the TV speakers. "Well, I'll be dammed. We got something good to listen to." Luke set the remote down and fumbled through the front pocket of his jeans. "And you can open this while we listen."

"You got me something?" Jay gazed at the small white box Luke had placed in his lap.

"Well, yeah. Got it from a street vendor. Thought it would be something you'd like. Think of it as a late Christmas present."

"You didn't need to get me anything," Jay insisted, as he unwrapped the box and opened the lid.

"Well, I wanted to."

"Oh….wow. I like it!" Jay grinned as he held up a hematite Zuni bear that dangled from a black cord. "Thank you! Let me put this on."

"Nah, I'll get it." Luke slipped the pendant over Jay's head and secured it with his big but nimble fingers. "That suits you, Jay. Much more than a bunch of fancy jewelry."

Jay let a catlike purr escape his lips. _God, those hands!_ he thought. _They make me feel so safe._ Sighing, he climbed off the bed. "Don't go anywhere," he warned his lover gently. "I need to use the bathroom real quick, and I'll be right out with something special for you."

Luke stretched out on the bed, contentedly listening to the classic rock music. Some old love song (if you could call it that) from Led Zeppelin played on the TV, and Luke had an idea of what his blonde lover was planning. Phone calls and texts could only go so far. He wanted Jay, live and in person. And he knew the feeling was mutual. He could hear bathroom noises-water running, a toilet flushing, teeth brushing-from behind the closed door.

Finally, the light in the bathroom turned off, and the door opened. Jay stepped out, barefoot and brazen, and approached the foot of the bed. He unbuttoned his maroon-colored workshirt and shrugged it off, letting it slip off his shoulders and drop to the floor. He then reached for his white undershirt and slowly pulled it up and over his head. He let it drop to the floor as well to join the other article of clothing.

Jay's eyes twinkled. "See something you like?"

Luke smiled. "I see a lot of something I like." Sure, Jay had gotten a little fluffy during his captivity/convalescence with the Wyatts, but the workouts at the Performance Center had replaced the fluff with the wiriness that Luke had come to know and love. Jay's blonde hair was longer than Luke remembered it, and it spilled across his forehead in what could only be described as an organized mess. His chest was broad and tanned, sprinkled with blonde hair. His bulldog tattoo stood out proudly on his left arm. The hematite bear dangled and gleamed between his shoulder blades.

Jay slinked towards the bed, his fingers slowly unzipping his jeans and drawing them lower on his hips. "Consider this a late Christmas present," he purred, a knowing grin spreading across his lips. It had been too long since he and Luke had been intimate, so they had a lot of lost time to make up for.

Luke scooted up against the headboard. "Forward much?"

"I don't see the point in wasting any more time," Jay smirked, as he climbed up onto the bed. He eased his jeans further down his hips with one hand as he glided across the sheets so that he could straddle his lover. His eyes darkened with pent-up lust as he let his hands travel across Luke's chest to grab his camouflage shirt. Jay pressed his forehead to Luke's. "Sooo...tomorrow's New Year's Day, and we don't have to be anywhere tomorrow. You wanna be in this for the long haul tonight?"

"You better believe it," Luke chuckled before his and his lover's lips met in a long-awaited kiss.

~~~ANGEL~~~

"Eat up," Daniel smiled, setting a plate in front of Bray and taking a seat of his own across from him. Daniel was now wearing some faded jeans and a flannel shirt that Bray had found in his dresser drawer. The shackle from his ankle was now gone, but he wasn't about to go anywhere. The landscape was too wild and dangerous to make a break for it from what Daniel could see, so he decided that staying put was a safer, more sensible option.

It was now Friday morning, and Bray and his newest "son" were back at the Wyatt compound. Bray figured that he and Daniel could spend a day or two engaged in some one-on-one study before flying out to Baltimore to join Luke, Jay and Erick for the Old School RAW taping. So after the Smackdown taping, Bray and Daniel parted company with his other three sons, who would travel and bunk with the rest of the roster.

Then, early on New Year's Day, Bray took the wheel of the RV, and Daniel was shackled to the front seat as a forced navigator, and together they made the seventeen hour journey back to Louisiana, stopping once along the way to gas up the old behemoth and catch a few hours rest.

During the trip, Bray talked at length about his new pet project, the Seven Diamonds Plus One, which were lessons gleaned from several religious books and the teacher, the Plus One, who'd teach those lessons to others. Daniel thought it was brainless dreck, but he nodded in agreement and engaged Bray with a few questions.

The Wyatt's patriarch also entertained his new son with amusing stories from his days as a long-haul trucker. Daniel laughed at a few of the anecdotes, but he was more surprised than amused. Bray drove a truck? Luke and Erick had been hired hands for Bray's uncle? He wondered what had taken place between Bray's trucking career and his arrival in the WWE that drove Bray off the rails and brought the hired help along with him.

Bray gazed down at the food that was offered him. On the plate was a plump omelet filled with cheddar cheese and green onion. On the top lay a handful of chopped tomatoes that were sprinkled with salt and pepper. Next to the omelet lay a salad of some sort, and next to that lay four buttered slices of toast. From the looks of it, Daniel was cooking breakfast for Bray as a gesture of goodwill. The kitchen wasn't technically advanced by any stretch (it did have a stove, an icebox, a toaster, and a coffee maker), but it was remarkably clean and decently stocked, and Daniel was able to cook with little difficulty.

"It's arugula," Daniel explained. "I'm trying to use up everything I found in the icebox. You should get the boys to eat more fruits and veggies."

"We used to eat a ton of them when we grew them on this property," Bray admitted. "We've gotten away from that while we've been on the road." A pause, while Bray picked up a fork and took a bite out of the omelet. "This is quite good. I didn't know you could cook."

"There's a lot of things that you don't know about me," Daniel shrugged cryptically, as he tucked into his own omelet. The two of them ate in slightly uncomfortable silence, with Bray gaging the atmosphere, and Daniel racking his brains trying to think of something to say.

Finally, he thought of something. "Thanks for letting me talk to Brie on New Year's."

"She's your fiancée," Bray answered him. "It wouldn't be right for me to completely cut her out of your life."

Daniel nodded. Bray Wyatt might have been a ruthless, determined, unpredictable man, but he wasn't heartless. On New Year's Eve, Bray allowed Daniel to make a brief phone call to Brie, to reassure her that he was okay, and to patiently answer as many questions that he was able to. Brie, like most of the talent on the roster, considered the Wyatts a group of religious fanatic nut jobs, and Daniel didn't see a need yet to disagree. But when Brie took a jab at the Wyatts that was loud enough for them to hear over the phone, he was instructed by Jay (rather sternly) to end the call.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, after Bray and his newest convert pulled into a truck stop to catch some rest, Bray stepped outside to afford Daniel some privacy to make another crucial telephone call. And it was this phone call that made Daniel rethink his predicament:

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"Is Bray treating you okay?"_

 _"I'm fine. We had breakfast early this morning, then we headed out. It's a seventeen-hour trip, so we've pulled into a truck stop in Chattanooga so we can both get some rest. Bray's outside putting gas in the RV, and I'm sitting up front."_

 _"Can't you make a break for it?"_

 _"Brie, I'm shackled to the RV. I can't go outside." Daniel could hear his fiancée gasp on the other end of the line, and he tried to reassure her. "It's not that bad, Babe."_

 _"You're shackled?!" Brie's voice was a squeak. "You're chained up like an animal!"_

 _"Brie, I'm not. Bray's just making sure that I don't bolt. Not that I plan to."_

 _"So how's he treating you, aside from the shackles?"_

 _"Actually, pretty well. Surprising huh, especially after the beatdown he and his sons gave me earlier. Really I've just had to listen to a few sermons, some trucking stories, nothing earth-shattering." Daniel paused. "Look, I know you're freaking out over what I've had to do, but I promise. I'm okay, and I'm as safe as I'll ever get with these guys."_

" _Well, it's not you being in any danger that worries me," Brie sighed. She kept her voice down, remembering the last time she'd spoken to Daniel. Jay had practically forced her fiancé to hang up the phone after she'd called them a bunch of mindless cult freaks, and Jay happened to hear her. "I know you can handle your business. What worries me is that you've chosen to join these guys in the first place, like you've decided to become one of them."_

" _I didn't have a choice at the time. Luke and Erick beat me to a pulp. If I'd have refused, they would have_ ended _me, Brie. I'd be a mindless zombie, unable to talk, let alone move around and compete in the ring. And they could have hurt you too. I couldn't take that chance."_

 _As Daniel talked, he realized just how defeated he sounded._ I've let some religious fanatic break me down! _he realized._ That's not me! Brie doesn't deserve some broken down cult member for a husband! I'm better than that! And Brie deserves better!

 _As far as Daniel was concerned, Bray Wyatt was a master of trickery, lies and manipulations. The sad thing about it was that three men that Daniel knew of had fallen for his tricks, hook, line and sinker. What made it even sadder was that a man who had been in the WWE for the better part of two decades and should be wise to the ways of the business was now the Wyatt's lapdog and loyal lackey._

 _At that moment, he decided that he wasn't going to be the next lackey._

" _Brie," Daniel said. "I'm not one of them. And I'm gonna get back to you. I have an idea. When the smoke clears, everyone's gonna see the Wyatts for what they really are. But it's gonna take some time. Before I tell you what I'm planning, I have to know that you won't say anything about this, and that you'll support me."_

 _After a moment of uncomfortable silence on the other end of the phone, Brie said, "Okay. It could be a suicide mission for all I know, but okay. I'll support you. Tell me everything…"_

~~~ANGEL~~~

"Well, this place is...different from what I'd expected."

Bray's smile slipped a notch. "You were expecting some kind of crazed Manson-type cult place, weren't you? Satanic rituals, orgies, voodoo, drinking blood, virgin sacrifices, that kind of thing?"

"Truthfully, yeah. I was." What Bray projected in the ring was nothing like what he was seeing and experiencing now. It left Daniel feeling rather unsettled.

"Y'know, I'm kinda surprised at how clean this place looks." Daniel remarked, gazing around at the primitive but clean kitchen.

"There's a family now, who lives on the compound," Bray explained. "They've been here about two months. The RV belongs to them, and they let me borrow it. They spent the first two weeks here cleaning the place. A widow with two high-school age sons and two daughters. One of the daughters is an Aspie. She thinks everyone's an angel." Bray chuckled at that, and then continued. "Anyway, Roselle lost her home after her husband died, I offered her and her kids a place to stay in exchange for taking care of things while we're out on the road. Another girl, Anna, lives here too, and she pitches in quite a bit. She arrived the day before Roselle and her kids did." Bray smiled softly. "So far, it's worked out pretty well."

"So where are they?" Daniel asked, after a bite of toast.

"Where are who?"

"The family that's taking care of things."

"They're visiting some relatives over in Tennessee for the holidays. Anna's visiting her foster parents in Missouri. They'll be back after we leave," Bray answered, before returning to his breakfast.

Bray finished the food on his plate, washing it down with a cup of coffee. It was perfect, hot and strong and bitter. "This was very good, Daniel. Thank you."

When the two of them were finished, Daniel collected the plates, cups and utensils to wash in the sink. He filled the sink with hot water and found some Castile soap under the sink to wash with. Briefly, Daniel wondered if Bray was the type who'd attach some great spiritual value to a task as menial as washing dishes. Bray began to protest mildly, but Daniel held up a hand to shush him. "I'm part of this family," he insisted quietly. "I should start pulling my weight."

Bray got up from the table. "I'll help," he offered quietly, picking up a dish towel. "Least I can do."

Daniel smiled inwardly. So far, his plan was working. _Lull Bray into a false sense of security. Say everything he wants to hear. Act like the willing disciple he wants me to be. Then, when he least expects it, strike fast and strike hard._

 _When I'm done with you, Bray, you and your converts won't know what hit you._

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: As I post this, it's March 18, 2016. Roman Reigns will face Triple H at Wrestlemania 32 and will most likely win the WHC. I don't dislike him, and I have nothing against him, but he's not ready for prime time yet, and I think he should have had a few months in the upper-mid card to work on his ring and mic skills. Vince McMahon basically said "FUCK YOU FANS. I'm going to get my way and Reigns is my next face, whether you want him or not." I have a feeling that the match will be a disaster. Just my unbiased opinion. Okay, enough ranting.**

 **BTW, if you want to read more Bray, check out redsandman99's work. Her Bray is a sick, twisted bastard, and he's latched onto Dean Ambrose. Check out** ** _The Darkness Inside, Chase The Light_** **(the sequel),** ** _Trust, Mine, And He Had A Name,_** **and** ** _Look To The Stars._**

 **If this chapter seems a little disjointed, I'm loopy and tired at the moment. Hope it reads okay:)**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	17. Follow Me: Chapter Four

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: To everyone reading and reviewing, a big fat THANKS! The support means the world to me, and I hope I can do the Daniel-Bryan-joins-the-Wyatts storyline justice. I'm rewriting just two, three weeks of WWE history this time around, so it's a little easier than a year's worth or a decade's worth.**

 **BTW, the RAW taping won't be a flashback in this chapter because it will happen in real-time.**

 **DISCLAIMER: Please see the previous chapters. Dialog between the Wyatt's and Daniel after the match is from the backstage promo between them on Old School RAW.**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter Four_**

 _I thought the weekend of one-on-one time was just what I needed to nudge Daniel firmly over to our side. And from the looks of things, it seemed to work. During that weekend back on the compound, he had quite a few questions about my newest pet project. What books to read. What lessons that needed to be learned. Even how to teach them. When that weekend was up, I assumed that Daniel Bryan would be an excellent Plus One._

 _Yeah, the boys and I stuck Daniel with tons of daggers in our efforts to bring him to our side, and he still managed to stay on his feet. You gotta admire that kind of courage. The WWE Universe chose him as their champion, just like he chose them as his followers. They were moths gathering around a giant flame. But I believe that in his pursuit of glory, Daniel lost sight of who really was controlling the fire. It wasn't him. It wasn't his fans. It wasn't his fiancée. It wasn't the Authority. It wasn't me, my "sons" or even Abigail. It was something much bigger._

 _So when we arrived in Baltimore late Sunday night, my expectations were at an all time high. Daniel Bryan was destined for great things, a true transformation, a new path and a new life, and he was eager to accompany us on our journey. Which was why I questioned Erick and Luke's behavior on Monday night. I chalked up our loss as a miscommunication between the boys. Luke thought he had the legal tag. So did Daniel. They'd gotten their signals crossed. We'd work on that and make sure it didn't happen again._

 _Well...if I only knew then what I know now._

 _Abigail often said to me, "The world's an evil place. You gotta get them before they get you, because a rattlesnake's skin is the same color as the leaves. That's how I managed to survive. I got the best of them before they got the best of me."_

 _I should have paid closer attention to those words. Because if I had, then my boys and I wouldn't have gotten bit so hard._

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"Your face, my Thane, is like a book where one may read strange things...To deceive everyone look like everyone else. Be welcoming: show welcome in your eyes, your hand, your tongue. Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it. We must provide for… him that's coming. And you must leave tonight's great business to me. Business that will shape the rest of our lives."  
No Sweat Shakespeare, Macbeth Modern Translation: Act 1, Scene 5_

"...My mom would take the cinnamon rolls that you get in the grocery store that you take out of a can and bake, and she'd layer them in a bundt pan with butter and chocolate chips and put all that in the oven. On Sunday morning, the whole house would smell like cinnamon and chocolate," Jay recalled at breakfast Monday morning. He, Bray and the others were at a Perkins restaurant not far from the hotel the roster was staying at enjoying breakfast. Beneath a backdrop of some upbeat adult contemporary music, the air was thick with the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon rolls and speckled with bits and pieces of conversation.

"Kinda reminds me of when my dad took me cross-country when I was nine," Luke chimed on, as he refilled his coffee cup, then Jay's. "There's this big truck stop in Colorado, near Loveland, and they serve sweet rolls that are almost as big as a dinner plate. Dad bought one, and between the two of us, we polished that sucker off. I swear I was licking cinnamon and icing off my fingers the entire day," The boys chuckled at that visual.

Bray refreshed his own cup, and then added milk. "It kinda interests me that so many of our life experiences are food-related. Either you're making something or you're eating something." A pause, as he took a sip from his coffee. "Speaking of which, Daniel here makes a pretty decent cheese omelet."

Daniel shrugged. "It wasn't anything earth-shattering. I'm part of this family now. Might as well start pulling my weight. And speaking of family, I think that when the time's right, the whole world's gonna see this family for what they really are." he added. He waited a beat, and then lifted up his full coffee cup. "In fact, I know this is kinda cheesy, but I wanna propose a toast."

A grin crossed Daniel's lips. "To the Wyatts. May they all get everything they deserve."

"I'll drink to that," Bray nodded, clueless to the double meaning. The boys chuckled but lifted their cups and clinked them before tucking into their breakfasts.

As Daniel ate, he thought back to the mini devotional that Bray had held in their hotel room earlier in the morning.

Luke and Erick had knelt on the hotel room floor earlier in the morning, letting Bray's words sink into their minds. Jay sat cross-legged on the floor, his attention complete and undivided, his eyes shining. He looked like a Moonie in the middle of a religious experience.

Daniel sat cross-legged on the floor as well, next to the blonde veteran, carefully schooling his expression so as not to betray his boredom and disgust. The sermon rolled off of him like water off the back of a duck;

 _"When I was young, I learned that the world can be dark and scary. You take things for granted, and you're lulled into a false sense of security. Then some event happens that catches you completely off guard, and you're left flailing around in the dark. Darkness is cold. Darkness is scary. And while you're stumbling around lost and terrified, you're desperate to find some help, some comfort, some truth, some light._

 _"But darkness is necessary, because if you don't have darkness, then the light can't shine. Well, if you're trapped and lost in the darkness, that light is as close as any prayer. All you gotta do is say,_ Lord, help! Turn on the lights! I need Your light! _If you haven't figured it out by now, it's the light of the Lord. He is the light that shines brightest in the dark, and His light will never go out."_

 _Pretty words,_ Daniel had thought in disgust. He'd heard enough of Bray Wyatt's pretty words that weekend to last him the next five-hundred years. _Nothing but pretty words. Sooner than you think, I'll show the world what a group of mindless minions you really are._

 _We'll see if those pretty words will help you then._

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _RAW Taping 1/6/14  
Baltimore, Maryland_

"We're here," announced Bray, lighting his lantern. The Wyatts' entrance music began and the lights were very, very dim.

"Daniel Bryan is a Wyatt family member," announced JBL, as the Wyatts' entrance music slithered through the arena. The lights were very, very dim, and it was almost impossible to make out the four shapes approaching the ring. "And there's no stopping the Wyatts now."

"I'd like to see what Daniel Bryan looks like, Bradshaw," Michael Cole said. "How he's gonna act tonight."

"You'll see him, Michael."

"Well...where is he?"

At the entrance ramp, Erick gave Daniel a nudge forward. "Come on!" he hissed loud enough for only Daniel to hear. "Get a move on."

Daniel shuffled towards the Wyatt's patriarch. The dim light revealed his full beard, shaggy hair, and blue jumpsuit that he'd worn the night he was taken. He gazed into Bray's eyes like a man possessed before he followed his new "brothers" to the ring. The Usos and Mysterio would go up against Erick, Luke and Daniel, with Bray watching them at ringside. Jay was in Vince McMahon's temporary office discussing plans for his return to active competition in the WWE, but he would watch as much of the match as he could once his meeting was finished.

JBL grinned. "There he is."

"Wow, this is surreal," Michael Cole said, shuddering.

JBL was unfazed by Cole's creeped-out behavior. "You know, I think Daniel Bryan made the right decision."

"Yeah, JBL, but somehow I can't believe that Daniel Bryan has joined the Wyatts," Cole said in dismay. "I mean, I understand the reasons why, I guess, but...I just, I just can't see him with this group."

"Michael," JBL pointed out, "If you had the holy hell beaten out of you by somebody day in and day out, you'd do things you thought were unfathomable at one time too."

Cole nodded; he couldn't disagree with that statement. "Daniel Bryan said last week, _You were always right._ Telling that to Bray Wyatt," he explained to the viewing audience, as Bray eased his muscular frame into the rocking chair that was situated right next to the ring. " _No matter how many matches I've won, how hard these people cheer for me, the machine wouldn't let me win."_

When the lights turned back on, Bray was situated in his rocking chair at ringside. Luke and Erick were behind him, and Daniel stood right next to Bray.

The fans shouted _NO! NO! NO!_ as Daniel leaned over to hear Bray whisper in his ear.

"Don't be afraid, Daniel," Bray reassured him. "These people are insignificant. Their opinion means nothing." Daniel flinched inwardly but kept a poker face as he listened to the encouragement and took his place on the ring apron.

He sighed as the audience attempted to start a _Daniel Bryan_ chant that died quickly once the match started. As Michael Cole stressed to the TV audience that Daniel was a fighter, and a dragon, and that he'd make the right decision, Jimmy and Luke tangled up at the start. However, they quickly headed to their corners, though not before Luke decided to taunt Jimmy.

"Knock yourself out," Luke mouthed, as he tagged Daniel in.

Meanwhile, JBL, played Devil's Advocate as Rey Mysterio stepped in to face the Wyatt's newest member. "Well, anybody out here in the WWE Universe would have done the same thing if they were in Daniel Bryan's shoes. Besides, he fits right in! Look at him, he _looks_ like one of them! What's the difference between him and these other guys!"

Daniel stepped into the ring to square off against Rey, which resulted in a nice, although short-lived pop of cheers from the fans. _This is gonna get sad,_ he thought to himself. His eyes locked with Rey's, and even through the mask, Daniel could catch the questioning look on his opponent's face. _Sorry, buddy,_ Daniel mouthed before he floored Rey with a vicious right hand. He followed up by picking up Rey by the back of his shirt and delivering more hard rights and a high knee. He bounced Rey off the ropes and delivered a hard knee that knocked the masked luchador right to the mat.

From his comfortable spot in his rocking chair, Bray looked on and grinned.

At the broadcast table, Cole commented on Daniel's new viciousness and demeanor. "Even his facial expressions are different tonight!"

Eventually, Rey managed to launch Daniel through the ropes and out of the ring. The newest Wyatt gathered his wits as Bray shouted at him to get back in the ring. "Go get 'em, Daniel!" Before Daniel could regather his wits, Rey dove through the ropes and plancha-ed him to the floor. When Luke and Erick tried to intervene, the Uso's vaulted the ropes and plancha-ed them as well. After the Wyatts recovered their wits, they returned to the ring to prevent a count-out. Deciding that he needed a breather, Daniel tagged in Erick. Rey decided he needed to catch his breath as well and tagged in Jey Uso.

Erick wasted no time, putting Jey in the vicious vice grip he'd placed Cody Rhodes in nearly a week ago, before lifting him up for a Fallaway Slam. After Bray berated his charges for wasting so much time, Erick tagged Daniel back in. The newest Wyatt kicked and punched away relentlessly at Jey, who was trapped in the Wyatt's corner.

A chorus of _YES! YES! YES!_ rang in Daniel's ears. Even after joining a group as odd and crazy and (from all outward appearances) evil, his fans were still trying to back him. It made his heart twist slightly.

Letting the chants roll off of him, Daniel stretched Jey out between the ropes and then bounced himself off the ropes from the opposite side to administer a hard kick to Jey's back, which sent the Uso tumbling out onto the arena floor.

Bray's eyes sparked merrily as he watched his boys take the Uso apart. So far, they were working like a well-oiled machine.

Erick got the tag, and he tossed Jey back into the ring like he was a rag doll. A few stomps and punches, and Erick Irish whipped Jey into a neutral corner. He rushed at Jay, who attempted a Superkick between Erick's eyes. It missed, but Jey was undaunted as he rushed the big man. Erick tried picking Jey up, but Jey managed to leap-frog Erick and plant a Superkick beneath the big man's chin.

Erick went down like a shot, dazed, and so did Jey. However, Jey found it in him to climb to his feet and stagger back to his corner to tag in Rey.

Mysterio wasted no time. He hit Erick with a Hurricanrana that set up a 619. Jimmy Uso got the tag off the 619 but missed a splash when Erick rolled out of the way. Luke stretched out his hand to tag in, but before Erick could reach, Daniel tagged himself in and stepped through the ropes.

" _What the hell are you doing, Daniel?!"_ Luke exclaimed, as he stepped in to confront the newest Wyatt. _"He was reaching for me, not you!"_ An argument broke out between Luke and Daniel, with the referee in the middle trying to keep the peace.

"One of you! Get out!" the referee snapped. For a single crackling second, Luke looked like he was going to deck Daniel. Recognizing the volatility of the situation, Daniel decided to step back between the ropes and onto the apron.

Luke charged towards the Uso's corner like a bull, taking Mysterio out with a thunderous right hook. He attempted to set Jimmy up for a power bomb, but Jimmy caught Luke with a rollup for a very important win.

The Wyatts were thoroughly embarrassed, and they chased the Usos and Rey out of the ring before they had a chance to celebrate. Once the winners were out of the ring, Erick and Luke turned their attentions towards a nervous-looking Daniel. For a moment, it looked like Luke and Erick were going to dismantle their new "brother," but Bray rushed into the ring to break up the fight before it had a chance to start.

"Boys! Calm down! Don't do anything you're gonna regret!" Bray ordered his "sons." A loss wasn't the way that Bray wanted the debut of his newest family to end with, but he'd sort everything out once they were backstage. _It was a miscommunication,_ he thought to himself, as he and his boys watched the Usos and Rey leave the ring. _We'll just have to improve on our teamwork next time we're out here._

 _I mean, he's chosen to be part of this family, so he wouldn't dream of driving a wedge between us all, right?_

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _Oh the games people play now  
Every night and every day now  
Never meaning what they say now  
Never saying what they mean_

 _While they wile away the hours  
In their ivory towers  
Till they're covered up with flowers  
In the back of a black limousine  
-Joe South, "Games People Play"_

" _What the hell was that all about, Daniel?"_ Luke demanded loudly, in the locker room following the match. _"_ I had the legal tag, and then _you_ put yourself in the ring! I was the legal man!"

Erick crossed his massive forearms. "We had that match won, and you pull a stunt like that?!"

"Erick! Luke! Come on! Let me explain! I _wanted_ to join this family. I came here to learn, to be transformed! From a man...into a monster. I know I came here to learn, I can also teach! Because unlike either of you, I've been a been a Tag Team Champion!"

"So you're implying that we don't know how to work as a team?" Erick growled, the tone in his voice threatening.

Daniel flinched as Erick drew closer; the look on his face spelled trouble, and he had to soften his tone. "Hey, calm down," Daniel wheedled, as Luke held Erick back. "I was Tag Team Champion with Kane. A man as big as either of you. So let me contribute. Next week, let me team with you, Harper. Or let me team with you, Rowan."

"That won't be necessary, Daniel," Bray interjected, his voice firm. "Because next week, you'll be teaming with me."

Daniel grinned. Erick and Luke looked uneasy.

"Teaming with _you,_ Bray?!" Erick's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"You guys got your signals crossed tonight," Bray explained. "It's not easy when you have a new member of the family. You have to adjust. We all had to adjust when Jay joined the fold. Daniel's no different. We just have to relearn how to work together." He paused. "Daniel didn't come to us shrink-wrapped. He wants to learn and be transformed from a man into a monster.

"I spent an entire weekend studying with him," Bray continued, as Daniel looked on and beamed. "Eating meals with him. Walking around on the compound with him. I didn't see or feel or hear anything that made me think he has an ulterior motive. You heard him admit on national TV that I was right. _No matter how many matches I've won, how hard these people cheer for me, the machine wouldn't let me win._ They were _his words,_ boys.

"Daniel didn't join this family so he could drive a wedge between us. He joined to become one of us. And being part of this family isn't all sunshine and roses! Sometimes we screw up. We argue, we fight. We do stuff to each other that we hate. But at the end of the day, we love, and take care of, and look after, and do for each other. We work together! Because we're a family."

Erick and Luke gazed at each other, then glanced at Daniel, and then stared down at the floor. That was definitely true. They were family, not by blood, but they were family all the same.

Erick was the first one to speak up after a tense silence. "Bray's right," he said, glancing up. "We're a family. And we just have to relearn how to work together."

Luke met Daniel's gaze and held out a large hand. "Sorry I blew up at you."

Daniel nodded and took Luke's hand to shake. "Apology accepted," he said, the bland smile on his face easily concealing his duplicity. _This game's gonna be fun,_ he thought.

~~~ANGEL~~~

In Vince McMahon's temporary office, Jay was playing a similar game with his boss.

"The way I figure, Jason, this will allow us to re-introduce you to the WWE after your prolonged illness," Vince McMahon explained, as he lay out some plans for Jay for the next few months. "The Elimination Chamber's a great place to show off a few spots. Then we'll set you up with a run for the IC Championship against Big E. Langston. You'll be a five-time champ in that department. That's pretty prestigious."

Jay nodded and smiled slightly. "That's great, and I appreciate that. But I know you, Vince. You'll throw me a bone once in a while to keep me and the fans quiet. What will convince me that this time will be any different?"

A year ago, Jay would have jumped at the opportunity to hold a championship again. But that was a year ago, and Jay was a whole different animal now, and he could easily sense where this was leading. Vince gave off the aura of some smarmy used car salesman or some lowlife scammer bilking money out of a senior citizen with a fixed income. Two kinds of people that Jay couldn't stand. "So what's Big E's pet project? Movie? TV show? Action figure? New Twitter account?"

"Pet project?" Vince cocked an eyebrow. "There's no pet project involved here. Why would you think that?"

"Well, Vince," Jay pointed out. "Last time you gave me a chance to compete for that championship, you made me drop the strap to Mizanin on the 1000th RAW episode, all because he was promoting a movie."

Jay narrowed his eyes and continued. "It hasn't failed. I get a bone, and then someone with a pet project takes it away. Remember 2011? I became World Champion after Edge left. How long did I hold it? Two days! _Two days!_ And one of those days didn't count, because you were too busy celebrating The Rock's birthday on RAW. Then you make me drop the championship to some undeserving third-gen guy on national TV. Just so you could promote him coming back to Smackdown."

"Jason, you knew Randy was switching rosters at the time. I had to make sure the ratings stayed solid."

"Okay, Vince. You have TV ratings to worry about, and I get that. But was it necessary to have him announce to everyone in the audience that HE was the new champ? That HURT, Vince! Almost as much as that God-awful blue dot storyline. Boy, am I glad _that_ never got off the ground! I never got a chance to prove how worthy I was. I never got a chance to carry Smackdown on my own! And how many world championships has Randy Orton held? Ten? Eleven?"

"Be reasonable, Jason," Vince said, in an effort to placate the blonde veteran. "I made sure you had another title run after Money In The Bank that year—"

" _It was a lousy one!"_ Jay snapped, cutting Vince off abruptly. "I looked like a complete and utter tool at Summerslam that year, just to make Orton look good! My rematch on the Smackdown after was a joke, too!" He paused, and then fixed Vince with an ice cold stare. "When did you decide that your superstars had to arrive in the WWE shrink-wrapped?"

When Vince didn't answer, Jay continued. "When did it suddenly matter that they had to belong to a family with prestige and history in order to make it here? And when did it suddenly become important to give a strap to the guy that's only coming in part time or promoting a movie or the diva who's on a reality show and is more important for her scenic qualities? That shouldn't matter, Vince. They should all work as hard as the guy who won an essay contest to get into this business, or the guy who spent his last quarter's tuition money to train in the ring."

No response. Jay took that as a good sign and pressed on. "I was in the ring working matches when Orton was still in middle school, and when Batista was cutting his teeth in WCW! My friends and I drove across frozen lakes in Canada in the dead of winter to perform in front of maybe thirty, forty people in a school gymnasium at a First Nation's outpost, and earn barely enough for gas money to get back home. I had bill collectors in my phone because of the debts I took on trying to make it in this business.

"I sacrificed, and I busted my butt, and I took every opportunity I could to better myself. But that kind of sacrifice doesn't matter anymore, at least to you. You had to have your precious third-gen golden boy as your face of the WWE, so you trample all over someone who's busted their butt for this industry for the better part of two decades!"

Jay sat back in his chair and folded his arms, his gaze flinty. Vince's eyes were equally hard, as he and Jay stared each other down. The silence that followed almost hurt. Jay heard a toilet flush in the distance, and he hoped that his sudden outburst hadn't flushed his career.

Finally, after what felt like hours (it really only was a minute or two) Vince nodded his head. "Okay. I'll let that slide because you're obviously upset."

Jay stared at his boss incredulously. It was often said behind Vince McMahon's back that he was the Devil incarnate, and the blonde veteran could almost see the horns on Vince's head.

The words, _I'm not upset. I just told you the truth, and you just can't handle it,_ stayed in Jay's head. Vince McMahon just didn't get it. Either that, or he did, and he was too afraid of change.

 _Just like the masses,_ Jay thought, and suddenly, Bray's words made even better sense. _The masses want to silence and destroy people like us because we terrify them with the idea of change, which is firmly rooted in truth. Truth makes the masses stop and think. Are they living in truth, or are they living a lie? Truth brings change, and that change brings truth._

 _Yeah. I'm not upset at all. It's about time Vince gets a taste of the truth._

A sly look crossed Jay's face, and he locked eyes with his shady boss. "You know, Vince. It's _not_ me being upset. It's me telling you the truth, and apparently that's difficult for you to face. You insist on forcing the same superstars down everyone's throats, while there are dozens of talented guys ready to go out and prove themselves and win over some new fans.

"The truth is, you wanna keep everything as it is, because you're afraid to make a move that could cost your company some money. Would you rather take a few chances and lose a little money in the beginning, or stay right where you are and lose a lot at the end? Because that's what'll happen if you keep doing what you're doing. The fans will get burned out and find another place to spend their money."

Jay got up from his seat. "Don't get me wrong, Vince. I'm happy that I'm returning to the ring, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep myself relevant. But things are gonna change, and change quickly. Mark my words." With that parting shot, he headed for the door. "I'll see myself out, Vince."

Vince shot a glare fully loaded with darts at Jay's back. _The nerve of that man!_ Assuming that Vince didn't know what was best for his company anymore! Accusing Vince of pushing others and promoting pet projects at his expense! _Well, so much for Reso's push,_ Vince thought acidly as he reached for his cell phone to make a few phone calls. _I never liked that creepy little bastard anyway._

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: To me, this chapter was a bit disjointed. Writing kayfabe is not easy, but I hope I made it work. I don't know if Vince dislikes Jay Reso in real life, so a lot of the dialog between the two of them was from how I perceive their working relationship, mixed in with a few of my opinions on how Jay's been treated the past three or four years.**

 **The truck stop I mentioned is Johnson's Corner, home of gigantic cinnamon rolls and awesome fried chicken dinners (shameless plug).**

 **Also, I have a VERY important announcement. I DON'T accept Guest reviews. In some of the stories I've read and critiqued, anonymous readers will log in as a guest and bash the story, the writer, or both, with impunity. To me, that's a form of cyberbullying, which is something I WON'T tolerate, and something I WON'T permit. It only takes a few minutes to create an FFDN account, and if someone's got issues with my work, I'll be glad to engage in discussion via private message. I don't bite, and I'll always accept concrit.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	18. Follow Me: Chapter Five

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Whew! These past few weeks have been insane! I've had barely enough time to update this story!**

 **Anyway...I'm dead serious about NOT accepting Guest reviews. On some of the stories I've been following, guests will leave anonymous reviews requesting disturbing smut, spouting off profanity, calling the author rude names, or complaining that they hate the story and don't want to read it. Sometimes, it's combinations of those items. I don't have to put up with that, so I won't.**

 **If anyone wants to critique my work, please make sure you have an FFDN account. It only takes a few minutes to set up, and I want to be able to respond (privately, of course) if you've got issue with my work.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters.**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter Five_**

 _The relationship between Daniel and the others changed following the disagreement on Old School RAW._

 _I didn't need words to know that Erick and Luke now had misgivings about Daniel joining us. Sure, they agreed that they needed to adjust and adapt to a new addition to the family, but I suspected that they were merely paying it lip service. They subtly kept their distance from their new "brother" and spoke to him only when necessary, a detail I picked up on when they went to the gym to work out. Their interactions gave me the impression that Erick and Luke were going to work out on their own, and Daniel had invited himself along._

 _Even Jay, who had made an effort to be kind to Daniel the night he joined, was suspicious. It wasn't anything overt that Daniel did that left him questioning things. It was everything else going on around him that made Jay raise an eyebrow. Of course, Jay was accommodating and polite as could be when Daniel was around. After all, no sense being rude and inconsiderate unless you know for certain that someone you trust is up to no good, right?_

 _As Jay voiced his concerns to me over lunch while we were in Philadelphia for the Smackdown taping, it suddenly dawned on me. The man sitting across from me radiated a quiet strength. A fiery intelligence. A fierce sense of loyalty. A willingness to put my best interests, and the interests of the family, ahead of his own._

 _Who would have thought this was the same man who, six months ago, was planning to jump to his death from a hotel balcony?_

 _And as we spoke, I began to ask myself. Was Daniel undergoing a full transformation? Or was it merely a fabrication? I decided that the outcome of Monday night would be the answer. It would be a true test of Daniel's loyalty. And if he showed that he was truly loyal to the cause, then all my suspicions, and the suspicions of others, would be laid to rest._

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't being said. The art of reading between the lines is a lifelong quest of the wise."_  
― _Shannon L. Alder_

" _It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them."_  
― _Confucius_

 _January 7, 2014  
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania_

Jay brought two plates to the table. On each was a sandwich, turkey and cheddar cheese on sourdough, with mustard, red onion, sprouts and lettuce. Two dill pickle spears and a bag of potato chips completed the lunch ensemble on each plate. He took a seat across from Bray, and the two of them ate in comfortable silence.

"There are things about Daniel being part of our family that don't pass the smell test," Jay announced, after he was finished eating his sandwich.

"What are you talking about, Jay? You've seen him studying with us. He's got all sorts of questions about the Seven Diamonds Plus One. He's become more aggressive in the ring. He's eager to learn more. He even tried to help Luke and Erick work as a team. Granted, that didn't quite work, but his heart was in the right place-"

"That should be MY territory, Bray, not his!" Jay hissed, keeping his voice down so as not to disturb the other superstars in catering trying to enjoy lunch. It was bad enough that they gave the Wyatts odd looks; they didn't need to hear the superstars talking about them behind their backs. "I've been in this company longer than he has! I've been a nine-time tag team champ! _I_ should be the one coaching them, NOT Daniel. It's like Daniel joins the fold, and suddenly you can't see past the end of your nose!" Bray fell silent, and Jay knew he'd made a good point. He continued. "And it's not just that. He seemed a little too eager to join the fold when you finally broke him down."

"I broke you down just as hard, Jay," Bray fired back. "It was just a little more spread out over time. And you were just as eager as he was when I finished with you."

Jay flinched. That comeback, true as it was, brought up a few memories that he didn't want to revisit. _"Touché,_ Bray. But it's not only how Daniel's been acting that raises my hackles. It's what his fiancée is doing, or rather, what his fiancée is _not_ doing."

"You're talking about Brie?"

"Yes. You'd think that if her fiancé has joined a family like ours, then she'd be flipping out, worrying her pretty little head, trying to move heaven and earth to get him back. She couldn't call the police because Daniel joined us of his own free will. But she could try to get help from Triple H, or Stephanie, or Vince, right? Or even the Board of Directors?" Bray didn't answer, so Jay pressed on. "You'd think she'd be doing _something_ to try and get him back, wouldn't she? Instead, she's just going about her business like nothing's wrong."

"Well, how would you know that?"

"I heard her interview with Phillips last night. She looked and sounded _way_ too relaxed, when you consider that her husband-to-be is in a _quote-unquote_ cult."

"Really?" Bray cocked his head and stared quizzically at the blonde convert. "How so?"

"Well," Jay began, opening up his bag of potato chips, "After my little meeting with Vince, I went looking for you guys. I got myself turned around and almost wound up where they were doing interviews. How I managed to stay off camera is anyone's guess. But anyway, Phillips was interviewing Brie, and the answers she gave him were pretty suspicious..."

 _"I can understand where you may be a little torn, a lot on your mind, as we take a look at what happened last week on Monday Night RAW. Your future husband, your fiancé, Daniel Bryan finally gives in and becomes a member of the Wyatt family. How is this affecting you?"_

 _"Well, you know, I'm worried of course, but it's just...hard 'cause you know, Daniel Bryan is gonna be my husband. He IS my family, and he's joined the Wyatts. And it's been so hard on me just to watch what Bray's been doing to Daniel the past couple weeks, it's just so nasty! But I know Daniel's gonna do what he needs to do. And as his fiancée, I'll stand by him and support him, no matter what."_

"Jay, you're forgetting something," Bray finally answered back. "The Authority is petty and callous. They wouldn't help her, even though they have endless resources at their disposal. They don't like Daniel, and by extension, they don't like Brie." After a pause, Bray locked eyes with his blonde "son." His voice was soft but firm. "And you of all people should know that. You were screaming for help, and they didn't do anything. Luke and Erick and I were the only ones willing to take the time."

Jay pressed his lips together in a tight line before he spoke. "That's true, and I'm forever grateful for that. But it's just that...I think Daniel's playing us all for fools, and I don't wanna see you guys get hurt."

"Well, Jay...if it's any reassurance to you, Daniel won't be at ringside until the very end of the match tonight. You and me and Daniel will be engaged in some study time. I figure that the more time I keep him under my watch, the less of a chance for any...shenanigans."

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _Smackdown Taping  
January 7, 2014_

Backstage, Daniel, flanked by a sheep-masked Erick and Luke stood in a dark corner, while the cameras rolled for a promo that would be shown later that night.

Bray paced the floor, his voice soft. "Fate, she is a strange beast. She warms your heart with her eyes...right before she tears you apart with her teeth. Ask me—are her virtues worth this gamble?" He paused, deep in thought, and then continued. "Usos? If I was to break one of your bones, would the other one feel it? If I cut one of you...would the other one bleed?"

Bray paused, and then he raised his voice. " _Aren't you tired of playing hero?! Don't you realize that you're living this giant lie?"_

Bryan blinked, and then unleashed. "LIE!" he shrieked in front of the camera, his eyes fiery, his movements twitchy. _"Everything we've ever been told is a lie!"_ he exclaimed, glancing around. _"And it makes you wanna ram your head into a wall until you destroy...something!"_

Wyatt gazed into the camera and whispered one word; "Run."

 _Everything we've ever been told was a lie,_ Daniel thought bitterly, once the promo wrapped up. _Ha! Pot, kettle, black, you? Hellooo, Bray?_ He thought of the devotional he'd heard that morning and wondered how stalking, kidnapping and assault fit in with bringing someone to the Lord.

" _...Following the Lord is not all hearts and flowers. It's not a slide across the ice. On your paths to righteousness, you're gonna be deceived and knocked down, beat up, stepped on, laughed at, whatever. The trick is to be able to get back up and discern the truth from the lies, the good from the bad, the wheat from the chaff. It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of change. It takes a lot of discernment. It takes a lot of courage in your convictions. But, in the end, your eternal reward will be worth the fight."_

Was kidnapping an example of discernment? Did assault demonstrate courage of one's convictions? Would the Lord give Bray a set of wings and a halo, pat him on the back and say, _You kidnapped a man and beat him to a pulp in My name. Well done, good and faithful servant,_ when he received his final judgement?

 _It doesn't matter,_ Daniel thought, hopefully. _Just a few more days of this, and Brie and I will be back together._

~~~ANGEL~~~

Bray made good on his assurance and stayed backstage with Daniel and Jay. Luke started the match against Jimmy Uso. Luke quickly grabbed Jimmy and powered him to the corner before clubbing him down. Harper hit a European Uppercut before sending him into the ropes. Luke's momentum was cut short when he lowered his head and ate a kick. Jimmy ducked a clothesline from Luke and tagged in his brother. Jey punched Harper in the face and climbed in the ring. Jimmy kicked Harper in the midsection, and Jey dropkicked him in the face. Jimmy was tagged back in, and he hit an axe handle to Harper's shoulder blade.

Backstage, Bray, Daniel and Jay gave up on Bible study for the moment and watched the action on a TV monitor. Jay flinched at the abuse Luke was receiving, but then he breathed an audible sigh of relief as Jimmy charged into an uppercut.

Back at ringside, Luke tagged Erick in. "Spell me," he gasped, before he ducked through the ropes.

Erick wasted no time as he clubbed Jimmy down. Erick elbowed him in the head before going for a powerslam, but Jimmy slid off his shoulder and punched Erick in the face. Erick retaliated by reversing an Irish whip. Jimmy attempted a sunset flip, but Erick refused to go down. The big man attempted a leg drop, but Jimmy moved out of the way. Jimmy kicked him in the chest before hitting the ropes. Rowan countered him with a flapjack.

Erick propped Jimmy up on the top rope and clubbed away at the chest. Luke tagged back in, and he pummeled Jimmy down to the mat before picking Jimmy back and delivering a few chops. Erick was tagged back in, and he punched Jimmy in the ribs and delivered a headbutt, which was countered with a few chops and punches. The big man blocked a kick and spun him around, but Jimmy countered with an enzuigiri. Erick stumbled to his corner, and tagged Luke back in. Luke elbowed Jey off the apron and delivered a big boot to Jimmy for a near fall.

Luke climbed to his feet and stared menacingly down at the fallen Uso before he picked him up and powered him into his and Erick's corner. The two of them manhandled Jimmy, and Erick planted him into the mat with a hard fallaway slam before Luke tagged back in.

"You guys want more?" Luke taunted before he and Jimmy exchanged blows. A hard uppercut by Luke snapped Jimmy to the canvas. A knee drop, a hook to the leg, and a two-count. The Wyatts continued to dominate as Luke applied a gator roll to Jimmy, and then a grounded side headlock.

Jimmy fought his way up, but Luke shoved him into the ropes and clotheslined him down. Erick was tagged back in, and he body slammed Jimmy down before digging his fists into Jimmy's temples, a near carbon-copy of the move he'd applied to Cody Rhodes the week before.

Jimmy was not Cody Rhodes. He fought up and escaped the hold with a jawbreaker, and then escaped into a corner. Erick charged him, and Jimmy lifted his boot to fend off his opponent. Like a cat, Jimmy climbed to the top rope and lay Erick out with a corkscrew plancha that left both men dazed.

Jey Uso and Luke were tagged in to spell their respective teammates. Jey clotheslined Luke and knocked Rowan off the apron. Jey clotheslined Luke again before Luke reversed a whip to the corner. Luke ran into a back elbow, and Jey kicked him in the solar plexus before punching him to the corner. Jey hit him with a running forearm before ducking a clothesline and hitting a Samoan Drop. Jey got the crowd into it before hitting Luke with a running butt bump to the face (a move taught to them by their dad, Rikishi) and dragging him to the middle of the ring. Erick tried to intervene but was kicked in the face for his troubles. Luke then caught him with a sit-out body slam, but Jimmy broke up the pinfall. Harper shoved Jimmy out of the ring, and Jey schoolboyed him for a near fall. Luke punched Jey in the face, but he soon received a back body drop that spilled him out of the ring. The referee began his count, and Jey then took Luke out with a running plancha.

Jey lifted Luke up to put him back in the ring, but Erick quickly mowed him over with an avalanche. The referee continued his count. Rowan looked menacingly at the crowd before being taken out by a diving shoulder block off the apron from Jimmy. Jimmy managed to stagger to his feet, and Luke took him down with a spinning clothesline. Jey tried to send Luke into the steps, but Luke reversed it as the referee counted both men out.

Stunned and angry, Luke helped Erick to his feet. "We lost," he snarled.

"So did they," Erick shrugged. "Let's dismantle these guys."

Erick and Luke stalked Jey like wolves on an injured deer, and they easily tossed the Uso back into the ring. They ducked through the ropes in preparation to attack Jey when Jimmy rushed in to make the save. Jimmy superkicked Luke and ducked a clothesline from Erick before pulling his brother out of the ring. The Usos attempted an escape up the ramp as Bray's embarassed "sons" glared at them.

~~~ANGEL~~~

Backstage, Bray charged out of the Wyatt's locker room and down the hall to the gorilla, with Daniel right behind him.

" _Don't do anything stupid!"_ Jay shouted after them.

~~~ANGEL~~~

All of a sudden, the lights went out.

A grin creased Luke's face as the lights turned back on, "Looky here, Erick. Reinforcements." Bray and Daniel were all over the Usos like fleas on a mutt, and gleefully, Erick and Luke joined in on the beatdown..

"I'm sorry," Daniel mouthed, before he sent one of the Usos into the barricade.

Bray looked on pensively as his boys tossed Jimmy into the ring like he was a child's toy. Daniel took him down with a Running Knee and then knelt on the canvas. He locked a twisted looking gaze onto the ring announcers and stuck his tongue out, looking like he completely belonged with the family he'd forcibly joined.

"Stand him up!" Bray ordered Erick and Luke. The two of them propped an exhausted Jey up between them. Wyatt bent backwards to look at him. As his followers looked on, Wyatt hit the Uso with Sister Abigail, and just like that, Jey became the sacrificial lamb of the Wyatts.

Bray pointed to Jimmy, who was barely conscious from Daniel's assault. "Bring him here," he instructed, and Daniel dutifully piled the Usos up in front of the Wyatt patriarch before he dropped to his knees alongside Bray. As the crowd shouted _NO! NO! NO!_ it looked like the transformation from perennial underdog to crazed cult follower was complete.

But Bray couldn't help but ask himself, _Transformation? Or fabrication?_

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Hmmm...what a difference six months makes, huh? Six months ago, Jay wanted to escape the Wyatts and kill himself. Now he's enjoying lunch with Bray and warning him to be careful! Depending on how you look at it, it's either Stockholm Syndrome or gratitude. Maybe a little of both.**

 **Now...if you followed the Daniel-Bryan-joins-the-Wyatts storyline when it came out last year, you'll know that Bray is headed for a big fall. Geez, all Bray wants to do is change the world, and Daniel's about to spit on his message. Daniel's gonna get served a big karma sandwich in the next couple of chapters, and deservedly so!**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	19. Follow Me: Chapter Six

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: If I were a writer for WWE, I'd put Roman Reigns into the midcard with the IC title chase so he can cut his teeth a little more. But, it looks like Romie's gonna be Vince McMahon's new golden boy, whether we like it or not.**

 **So, to anyone who's reading …if you disagree with what will probably happen at Wrestlemania this year, don't boo or riot. Instead, if you're going to a live event or watching on TV, do nothing. If you're going to a live show, leave your seat when Roman shows up, or use his match/promo time to do other stuff. Go to the bathroom, get a cup of coffee, or even check your messages on your smart phone. A reaction is what Vince is looking for, so don't react.**

 **We're heading into the homestretch for this story. Probably two, maybe three more chapters. This chapter is different in the sense that Bray's not providing an intro. He's decided to remain quiet and let things unfold on their own.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters, as well as my profile. Dialog between the Bellas is from a promo from Smackdown off of the WWE App, and Sandow's description is from Wikipedia and promos gleaned from Wrestleview dot com.**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter Six_**

" _We're a different sort of thief here...Deception and misdirection are our tools. We don't believe in hard work when a false face and a good line of bullsh*t can do so much more."_  
― _Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora_

 _Providence, Rhode Island  
1/13/14_

"...I'm sorry, Nikki. It was my fault. My mind was out of the game, and I lost the match, not only for me, but for you too... " Brie and Nikki were alone in the Diva's locker room (they didn't have a match, so they were killing time by painting their nails and watching the action on a TV monitor), and Nikki was still sore with her twin sister. Although the match between Alicia and Aksana on Old School RAW had ended a week ago, Brie still couldn't begin to apologize enough for her distracted performance.

The match started off well. Nikki hit a couple of armdrags and then an armbar. Alicia tried to land on her feet after a flip but wound up sprawled in the corner in an unceremonious heap, before flying face first out of the ring after a monkey toss. Nikki rushed out to bring her back in, but Alicia was ready. She dropkicked Nikki's knee and then used the rope to stretch it. Aksana got the tag and continued working on Nikki's leg. Nikki escaped a heel lock and tagged in her sister. Aksana met a knee to the face but blocked a second and knocked Nikki off the apron. Brie climbed to the second rope and screamed, "Brie Mode!" in preparation for a leap down to the floor. Mistake. Her enthusiasm was no substitute for her precision, however, and she completely missed her opponent, giving Aksana a chance to cover her for a win.

"Yeah, whatever," Nikki huffed, blowing gently on her freshly polished fingernails. "You've been distracted by everything that's been going on with Daniel."

Brie closed her bottle of nail polish and set it down next to her. "Next time we're back in the ring, Nikki, I'll make sure my mind's there, and I'll pull a win for us both."

Nikki cocked an eyebrow at her sister; the comment about Daniel had just flown right over her twin's head. The next words Brie uttered proved it. "Aksana look really great on Old School RAW, didn't she?"

Nikki decided to tackle this head on. "Brie, what is going on with you?"

Brie turned to look at her sister like the words Nikki uttered were a personal affront. "Excuse me?"

"I mean...here, Daniel joins the Wyatts! I mean, he's your fiancé, and you act like you're not even distracted by that?"

Brie folded her arms across her chest, mindful of her freshly polished nails. "Okay, Nikki. That's the thing. I'm not distracted. I'm supporting my fiancé."

"WHAT?" Nikki stared at her twin sister as if she'd just sprouted horns and a tail. "You're supporting Daniel in this?! _Are you crazy? The Wyatt's are insane!_ You would never, _ever_ support this! I don't get it!"

Calmly, Brie rose to her feet so that she was nose to nose with her sister. "Okay, Nikki. I'm gonna give you one chance to drop everything..."

" _How can I drop this?"_ Nikki spat, astonished. "I mean, how are you sitting here supporting him when he joins a...do you remember what they did to him up until they dragged him off?"

"Nikki," growled Brie, her voice low and threatening. "Drop it."

For an uncomfortable minute, Nikki stared at her sister, who was now gathering her manicure items and placing them back into her locker. She'd half expected to be comforting her twin, while Brie worried her pretty little head off. But the fact that Brie was going merrily about her way churned her mind into a sea of questions.

If Daniel had joined a family like the Wyatts, wouldn't Brie freak out and search for some way to help him escape? Of course calling the police would be out of the question; the event took place within a wrestling ring, and Daniel had joined the Wyatts voluntarily (beatdowns and stalking notwithstanding). But she could go to Triple H, or Stephanie, or Vince, or even holler at the Board of Directors to get something started, couldn't she?

 _Good grief!_ she thought in frustration. _Daniel is Brie's fiancé, and_ I'm _the one who's worried sick about him!_

Nikki shook her head and gave her jumbled thoughts a voice. "I...I don't understand."

Brie slammed her locker door. "CAN YOU DROP IT?" she snarled before stomping out of the locker room in a huff.

Nikki followed her sister into the hall. "Brie! Where are you going?"

"DROP IT, NIKKI!"

"I'm NOT gonna drop this, Brie!" Nikki fired back, catching up to her sister in front of an empty bathroom and grabbing her arm.

"OW! _Let go!"_

"Not until you give me some answers!" Nikki shoved open the bathroom door and dragged her sister inside before shutting and locking the door. "Now, what the hell is going on with you and Daniel! He's one of the Wyatts now, and you're going about your business like it's no big deal. So what I want to know is, why are you supporting him being brainwashed by a cult!"

"There's the problem, Nikki!" Brie fired back. _Might as well spill my guts now,_ she figured. _It'll be over and done soon anyhow._ She trusted her sister enough to know that she'd keep her mouth shut for at least a few hours. "You _assume._ You and everyone around me assume that Daniel is now a Wyatt family member, and that he's been brainwashed!" She paused. "Has it ever occurred to you that he may be in that group for a reason other than some misguided loyalty or because he's given up fighting them? Have you ever stopped to think that he's got an ulterior motive?"

"Ulterior motive?" It suddenly dawned on Nikki. "That sly sonofabitch."

"Come on, Nikki. Everyone knows that Bray's a monster. He's a psycho. He's crazy. He's a nut! A lunatic. He lives on this phony godlike image of himself, and every third word out of his mouth is a lie. He thinks the world is poisonous and sick and twisted, and he wants to burn it down. And the sad thing is, he's got others drinking the Kool-Aid along with him. Well, Daniel's gonna spill the Kool-Aid tonight. He's gonna show the Wyatts for what they really are. Pathetic, fake, and completely full of crap."

Nikki shuddered. "I hope he knows what he's doing. The Wyatts'll dismantle Daniel if he's not careful."

Brie placed a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder. "Nikki, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Hunter and Stephanie don't like him," she pointed out. "They'll put some stipulation into the main event tonight that'll drive home the point that they're gonna keep kicking Daniel like a dog, regardless of who's side he's on. And it's gonna play right into his hands. But you have to trust him, and you have to trust me..."

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."_  
― _Charles Dickens_

"Excuse me...Jason, right?"

Jay glanced up from his plate. Erick and Luke had decided to skip dinner at catering (they were feeling carnivorous and wanted red meat), so they were at a local Five Guys for a burger. Bray and Daniel were who-knew-where; the divisiveness between Daniel and his new brothers warranted segregation. Bray had insisted that it was to engage in some additional one-on-one study. Jay thought it was out of denial; Bray didn't like to be told that he was making a mistake, and he didn't want to admit that his three other sons might be right about their new convert.

So that was why the blonde Wyatt was in catering eating supper by himself; a salad of button mushrooms, golden beets, garbanzos, artichoke hearts and white asparagus, mixed with Italian dressing and topped with some fresh grated Parmesan. It was amazing what a good cook could do with canned items.

"I notice you're sitting by yourself. May I sit down and keep you company?" Damien Sandow was holding his own plate of food. He had the look of someone who seemed content with keeping his own company, but deep down wanted someone to talk to.

To the WWE Universe, Damien Sandow was a pompous,arrogant nitpicker, who hated popular culture and bemoaned how entertainment standards had dropped since the days of Shakespeare. He was there to save the people, he often said, refusing to face opponents, because the unwashed masses in the audience would neither learn nor benefit from him facing, in his words, simple-minded ignoramuses. The masses look for enlightenment, he'd often say, but there was nobody to turn to, and those who attempted to appeal to those simple minded fools were only false prophets doomed for exposure. He was the bright beam of enlightenment who would serve as the avenging sword of taste and decency.

To be a good heel, you had to take one grain of truth and magnify it by a thousand, and Damien employed that tactic beautifully. Because, in reality, Damien Sandow was a quiet, polite man who liked to read in his spare time and engage in conversation about current events, literature, and philosophy with anyone willing to listen. He was well-educated, polished and refined by nature, but he didn't cram that down anyone's throat.

Jay studied Damien with compassion. Damien carried himself with an elegance that spoke of a person who knew his self worth. His neatly manicured hands had a softness about them that told Jay that the scholar had never worked hard-really labored hard-a day in his life.

He gestured towards the small, empty table. "I don't see why not."

Graciously (and gratefully), Damien set his plate down and took a seat across from the older blonde. The two of them ate in comfortable silence before Damien spoke up again. "It's been some time since I last saw you. You look really good, healthy, albeit a little scruffy," he commented, referring to Jay's unruly blonde hair and plaid flannel shirt.

"Thanks." The smile on Jay's face was genuine. "It's...it's good to be back, really."

"If you don't mind me asking, where were you for those months? I've heard stories about you being sick or injured or in the hospital, but they were quite vague. Nothing specific."

Jay speared an artichoke heart with his fork. "Well…" he began, softly so that only he and Damien could hear, "I was ill. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I needed to step away for a while to uhm...heal from the inside out."

"With the Wyatts, I assume?"

"I guess it's obvious." Jay schooled his expression to conceal his racing thoughts and chewed on the artichoke heart so he wouldn't have to answer further.

"Well, it's pretty easy to figure out, especially when you're seen with a motley crew that looks like extras from the movie _Deliverance._ I'm surprised though, that nobody else has caught on yet."

"Well, either they haven't, or they have and they just haven't spoken to me directly. Which doesn't bother me, except that I don't appreciate being talked about behind my back. Y'know, they're actually pretty decent guys once you get to know them."

Damien nodded and took a bite of his own supper. "Yeah. I've always thought that there's more to them than what you see on television or even backstage. Bray would be fun to engage in intellectual conversation. Luke seems like a kind-hearted individual underneath all that hair. And Erick looks like the type that won't speak unless he has something very important to say."

"He's a still water that runs deep. That's how my father would describe him."

"Laurentius Abstemius. He was the scholar who coined that phrase. The story it's from was included in European collections of Aesop's fables. It's from _The Torrent and The River._ Actually the phrase itself began as, _There's More Danger in a Reserved and Silent, than in a Noisy, Babbling Enemy._ "

"I take it that you've studied Aesop's fables."

"Middle school. We studied their origins." Damien paused. "So, what's this I hear about you and Harper being an item?"

Jay smirked. No use hiding it. He'd already heard and seen enough from his coworkers questioning his oddball relationship to know that keeping it under wraps was a fool's errand. "Well... it's true. Before I left, I kinda ...descended below everything in my own life. I felt no better than a piece of trash. I'd lost almost everything that meant something to me."

"Descend below." The expression on Damien's face was thoughtful. "I can relate to that. I feel like I'm descending below things myself."

This elegant, intelligent man had lost nearly everything because of a broken friendship with Cody Rhodes and a botched attempt at retribution at Money In The Bank. That attempt had incurred the wrath of Cody's new/old lover, an entitled powder keg whose political pull backstage was overshadowed only by his mental state (the only reason Randy Orton was still employed was because he made the McMahons a fortune). As a result of Orton's fury, Damien lost his push, his friends, and his reputation. If he became comic relief in the midcard, he'd be very, very lucky.

"I can't possibly descend any further than I have already, can I?" Damien chuckled.

 _Oh, you could,_ Jay thought, remembering his ordeal in the Wyatt's garage. He finished his salad, and began to mop up the remnants with a slice of bread. "You'd be surprised at how low you can go. Especially when Orton and the McMahons are involved. You put them together, and it's like a roller coaster ride without a lap bar and razor blades and barbed wire in front of you. You just hold on as best you can. Worry about the scars later."

"That's a rather gruesome analogy. But I guess that's all I can do until my situation improves."

"It will," Jay assured him. "It'll just take time and patience."

"So when you were at your lowest and worst, that's when you encountered the Wyatts, I assume?"

"Yeah. It was Luke in particular. Let's just say that Luke was there when I really, really needed him. Love means seeing someone at their absolute lowest and worst, and being there for them anyway. When I was at my lowest and worst, he took care of me."

"Sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with. Often the oddest and most complicated relationships are the best ones of all. If you make each other happy, who are we to argue, right?"

"Very true."

Jay finished his supper, thinking about Orton, Damien, and Bray. A few treatments here and there at the hands of well-paid but inexperienced doctors assuaged the WWE Board of Directors and reassured Orton's would-be opponents, but compared to what a few days with Bray could do, they might as well have been kids playing Doc McStuffins.

 _Bray could break Orton in fifteen minutes! That is, if he didn't kill him first for being such an annoying little snot! But Sandow ...Wow! This is the kind of man that Bray could work a miracle on! He could really set Damien on a fantastic path! Heal him inside and out. Intellectual Savior? Meet Spiritual Savior!_ Jay thought with a silent laugh. _Imagine all that book knowledge and intellect working for the cause! And Damien's no slouch technically. His ring skills would_ really _benefit us too._

Damien would be a fantastic addition to the Wyatt family, but Jay decided to keep that all to himself for the time being. Better to let Bray make those discoveries on his own. Hopefully, Bray wouldn't feel the need to chain Damien to a garage floor, especially if Damien was the one who came to _him._ And better to not force the issue, either. The eminent train wreck with Daniel Bryan was a perfect example.

What Jay could do at the moment was offer his friendship to someone who truly needed it. As he got up from the table, he offered kindly, "Y'know, if you wanna get together for some coffee or a bite to eat after the show, or if you have an evening with nothing to do, you can always swing by our dressing room. None of us bite, and we always appreciate open minds."

Damien's smile was genuine. "I may take you up on that offer one day. Thank you. And thank you for letting keep you company."

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer_  
― _Sun Tzu_

 _RAW Taping  
1/13/14_

"This always gives me the willies," JBL sighed as the lights went out. When they came back on, Bray appeared at ringside in his rocking chair. Daniel was to his right, Luke to his left, and Erick, decked out in his sheep mask, stood behind them. Jey and Jimmy Uso were already in the ring, and the group engaged in a brief staredown before Bray leaned over to his new convert.

"Let's do this," he whispered, before he climbed out of the chair to begin the match in earnest.

The action began quickly, as Jey Uso squared off against Daniel. The fans began another _Daniel Bryan_ chant as Jey delivered a few hard stomps and a hard chop that could be heard throughout the arena. Jey sent Bryan into the ropes but Daniel fought back and sent him into the Wyatt's corner with a few well-placed kicks.

"Look at Bryan go," Michael Cole remarked on commentary as Bryan continued his assault like a man possessed.

"Looks like he made a pretty good decision to me right now," JBL fired back, as Bray got the tag and continued with the stomping before tagging Daniel back in. Remarkably, the two of them were working like a well-oiled machine.

Cole continued on commentary. "Daniel Bryan told us on Smackdown Friday night that, _Everything I've been doing is a lie. Made me wanna run into a wall head first, and made me wanna destroy something._ And that's what he wants to do with the Wyatt family."

"You get tired of fighting the machine," JBL nodded. "Sometimes you just wanna join them. And that's what Daniel Bryan did."

"Aren't you guys getting tired of playing heroes?" Bray shouted before tagging Daniel back in.

The would-be traitor choked Jey over the second rope as Cole and JBL remarked at what a tremendous addition Daniel was to the Wyatts. As Luke and Erick looked on, Daniel set Jey up on the apron with his head dangling off and drilled the dazed Uso with a Running Knee before tagging Bray back in.

"He came to the Wyatt's to learn," Cole reiterated for the benefit of the viewers at home that didn't hear it the first, second, or five-hundredth time. "But he also came to teach. He said, _I've been a tag team champion before. Let me contribute._ And that's what Bray Wyatt's doing tonight."

JBL agreed with his colleague. "That's exactly what he's doing. Bray Wyatt's a smart guy."

The big man delivered a splash in the corner before tagging Daniel back in. Daniel kept Jey on the mat with a series of methodical kicks. He then toyed with Jey's eyes with a few extended eye rakes before putting Jey into a rear headlock. Jey managed to find his second wind and fought to his feet and delivers a spinning heel kick to Daniel's head that left him dazed. Finally, Jey tagged his brother. Jimmy came in like a house of fire and nailed Daniel with a pair of vicious clotheslines, a spinning heel kick of his own, and a hard Samoan drop. He tossed Daniel into the corner and nailed him with a Rikishi-style butt bump. A drag to the center of the ring, a cover. If Bray hadn't come in to break the count, the Usos would have won the match.

Snarling, Jimmy picked up the Wyatt patriarch by the hair and tossed him out of the ring. Daniel was tossed out soon after, and the two of them caught their breaths and regrouped.

Jey climbed into the ring to join his brother. A knowing look passed between both Usos before they launched themselves out of the ring to knock both Wyatts down before they could completely regroup. Dazed and in pain, Bray and Daniel were both rolled back into the ring.

Jey and Jimmy continued their high-octane offense. Each brother climbed a turnbuckle and prepared for their finishing move. However, they wouldn't be able to capitalize, as Erick and Luke stormed the ring and knocked them off of their perches. Luke The bell rang to signal a DQ as Erick tossed Jimmy out of the ring. Luke knocked Jey onto the mat; the Uso landed on his feet, and Luke delivered a couple of roundhouse rights. Erick joined his brother, and the two of them assaulted a fallen Jey.

It was becoming a mugging at this point. Erick and Luke put the boots to Jey and set him up for a splash. Erick charged, but Jey managed to dodge the big man. He nailed Luke with a Superkick and scurried out of the ring to join his brother backstage.

"Cowards," Luke mumbled under his breath as he watched the Usos hightail it to the back. He fixed a look that could break glass at Daniel, who'd been knocked to the mat in the melee.

Bray, who had climbed back to his feet, was a bit more vocal. _"Get back here, you gutless wonders!"_

Once the Usos had escaped from view like a pair of scalded dogs, Bray leaned over Daniel. His eyes were flinty, his voice hard. "Get on your feet!" he barked.

Daniel flinched. _Is my deception suddenly obvious?_ he wondered in concern as he slowly climbed to his feet. The Wyatt's patriarch leaned in close. A shudder raced down his back as he caught Bray's whispered words: _You better not be lying to me, Daniel. If you are, I will dismantle you. That's a promise, not a threat._

He glanced around at Erick and Luke, who stood at either side of him like angry statues. Their expressions were stony. "I'm not," Daniel stuttered desperately, as he dropped to his knees. He held his arms out like he was being crucified.

Bray grabbed him in his massive arms and kissed his forehead. "Don't let me down tonight," he hissed, before delivering Sister Abigail in front of the stunned audience.

Daniel's body bounced off the mat, and he clutched his head in sudden and unexpected pain. He glanced to his left and let his distressed gaze lock with Bray's fiery blue eyes. "This is for your own good, Daniel," Bray implored softly. He glanced up at his other sons and raised his voice. "I do this for all of us!" he continued, gazing back down at his fallen convert. "This will make a change, Daniel!"

He climbed to his feet and instructed Erick and Luke to help him to the back. The expressions on their faces were of barely concealed contempt as they rolled Daniel out of the ring and half-carried, half-dragged him down the aisle.

 _Just two more hours of this,_ Daniel consoled himself. _I'll be free._ _And everyone will see the truth about these wack jobs._

 _You're not a prophet, Bray. You don't receive any visions, and you don't talk to God either. And tonight, in the steel cage, I'll expose you for what you really are. A pathetic, lunatic fake._

 _Follow the buzzards? You should_ fear _the buzzards, Bray. Especially the one who's gonna feast on_ your _carcass tonight._

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well, it's all gonna hit the fan in the next chapter. The Jay/Damien exchange was something that just took on a life of its own.** ** _The High End Of Low_** **by theytalktome was where I got that inspiration. I think it would be cool to graft Damien onto the Wyatt family tree. Intellectual Savior and Spiritual Savior. Helluva combination, huh? And I wouldn't expect to see Damien chained to a garage floor in this instance. Perhaps Bray's learning a few hard lessons about how to spread his message. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	20. Follow Me: Chapter Seven

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Firstoff, SORRY for the delay. I had a few personal things I had to take care of, but they've been dealt with. Also, writing fight scenes is pretty difficult, and it was hard to find a good play-by-play of the cage match.**

 **Second, I just upgraded my iPod Touch to a 5th Generation I bought off of Amazon dot com. Same capacity as my 3rd gen, but now I can put my aps on it, YAAY!**

 **Thirdly … we got some enormous thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding in my neighborhood. We had five touchdowns around us, one a quarter-mile from our house (YIKES!). Needless to say, we had some cleanup to do (flooded basement and whatnot), and I'm now sleeping in the dining room in our house while contractors pull up carpet and replace drywall in my bedroom. So… please forgive me if my writing isn't up to snuff on this chapter. I have a lot of things on my plate.**

 **Speaking of cage match, it's crunch time now. The Main Event has finally arrived, and Daniel's about to make his escape. And Bray decided to speak up again in the beginning of this chapter.**

 **BTW, I'm toying with the concept of Daniel's neck injury being Karmic payback for what he did to the Wyatts. I made him sort of sympathetic in the beginning, but as this story progressed, he became less and less likable. It's hard to tell if this was by design or just something that evolved naturally as the Wyatt storyline progressed. Either way, Karma's going to bite Daniel in the ass, so sit back and enjoy the ride.**

 **John Cena makes an appearance here, and… well, let's just say you'll have a reason to hate him in the next series. And trust me, he'll get knocked down a few pegs.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters. Pep talk is the Wyatt backstage promo from the January 13, 2014 episode of RAW. Bits of Bray's intro is from the January 17, 2014 episode of Smackdown Jay's flashback is taken from the in-ring dialog during the Bryan/Wyatts match at TLC 2013. Pwtorch and fantasygod dot com provided the play-by-play.**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter Seven_**

 _It was finally Showtime. Jay had left the arena earlier so that he could get some rest before catching his flight back to Orlando, so it was just me, Erick and Luke, and Daniel. Daniel slipped away briefly, with the excuse that he needed to use the bathroom before the Main Event. Deep down, I knew where he was going. Brie was in the building, and there was no way he wasn't going to see her for a moment. I held out a brief hope that he'd remain loyal to the cause and convince her to join us. That would have been an interesting episode of_ Total Divas _if that ever came to fruition._

 _But that would never come to pass._

 _When I was a little boy, I wanted nothing more in life than to be just like my dad. I did my best to make him happy. I tried to be just like him but it was never good enough. Because of his own demons, he was never there for me. My dad, instead of entrusting me with his legacy and everything he worked for, betrayed me. He blamed me for my mother dying in childbirth. When he pulled me out of school and put me to work on his boat as unpaid labor, he tossed me out on the scrap heap, to walk among the sheeple as one of them._

 _But I always knew that I was destined for greater things. So as I lay there deep down in that black hole of despair gasping for air, and calling for help, He saved me. The Lord gave me hope and He sang to me the sweetest songs that I had ever heard. He told me that on my path to righteousness and purity, I would be deceived again. So as I lay on the mat that Monday a beaten, battered mess, I looked into Daniel Bryan's eyes and I saw it. I felt it. I knew that this was the moment, and that this was what He was talking about. I had to descend below once again so that I could rise above. I had to sacrifice myself so that I would be resurrected into the creature I was born to be._

 _I wish it hadn't taken such a public humiliation for that epiphany. But looking back, it was necessary. The Lord has creative ways of making his lessons stick._

~~~ANGEL~~~

"Daniel?!" Brie's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw the man in the doorway of the diva's dressing room. Daniel looked no worse for wear, perhaps a little scruffier, but considering his _Respect The Beard_ gimmick, that was par for the course.

"Brie!" Daniel swept his fiancée up into a tight embrace. "Babe, you're a sight for sore eyes." He planted a soft kiss on Brie's lips. "I know I should wait until after the Main Event, but I had to see you."

"How'd you sneak away?"

"I told Bray I had to use the bathroom real quick. I'm taking a real chance here. I wish I could just take off right now, but I can't. The Wyatts are watching me closely. Even if they weren't, if I bail now, before the Main Event, then I can kiss my job good-bye."

Brie chuckled. "Oh, I don't think you need to be _that_ dramatic."

The look on Daniel's face and the tone in his voice was dead serious. "It's true. You know how the Authority is when it comes to me. They'd look for _any_ reason to put the screws to me. That's why they want the cage locked."

Earlier, Brad Maddox had a small dust-up with Kane, the Director of Operations. RAW is already in chaos with the Wyatts, he remarked, but Kane fired back, insinuating that Maddox wasn't enforcing the rules. So, to prove that he wasn't a pushover, Brad suggested that the steel cage for the Uso/Wyatt Main Event be locked by the Director of Operations himself.

"Well, after you finish, come back here. I've got your bags packed and ready to go."

"Thank you, I don't want to wear these Wyatt hand-me-downs any longer than I have to." Daniel frowned at his clean but faded blue jumpsuit. "I have to go. I told Bray I had to use the bathroom before the match, and I have to get back before he starts asking questions."

"I know you can take care of yourself, but… just be careful out there."

~~~ANGEL~~~

"The Usos are fools, Bryan," Bray pointed out, quietly, as he gave Daniel one last pep talk in the gorilla area backstage. Forgive them. They don't know what they're doing, and they don't know what they're asking for. They're afraid. I can sense it. I can FEEL it. Everyone else in this family can feel it. Everyone else on this roster feels it as well, because the last thing in the world the Usos should want is to be locked in that cage with us."

Bray continued. "They're like mice against snakes. And the snakes are people like us, Daniel. People like you and me, people ..." He gestured to Luke and Erick, whose faces were concealed in the shadows. "Like them."

It was a good thing the lights were dim. Otherwise, Bray or Daniel would have caught the sideways glance loaded with darts that Luke had just fired in their direction.

"We've been locked in this cage our entire life!" Bray continued. "Society is a cage that we've been fighting to get out of, and we'll do _anything_ we can to remove ourselves from it! Now, that's why tonight, inside that cage, we'll redemption. We'll find absolution. And most importantly ...we'll find monsters."

~~~ANGEL~~~

The advice Jay had given Damien rang in his head like a bell as he stepped out of the elevator and shifted his duffel bag from one shoulder to the other: _You'd be surprised at how low you can go. Especially when Orton and the McMahons are involved. You put them together, and it's like a roller coaster ride without a lap bar and razor blades and barbed wire in front of you. You just hold on as best you can. Worry about the scars later._

 _Well, I have some pretty big scars from tonight,_ thought Damien, as the elevator door closed behind him. He thought back to the match he'd had earlier that night. He'd been ordered to cash in his Money in the Bank and lose to John Cena as punishment for his, as Vince had called it, _underhanded tactics._ It had been little more than a pipe dream, but he'd thought briefly of breaking the script and winning the strap as a way to stick it to the higher-ups.

It couldn't hurt to try and shock the world, and Damien knew he'd have support from the other guys in the locker room. John Cena, and the powers-that-be, however, had other ideas. No use winning a championship just to have it stripped away days later and subjecting himself to further punishment, and possibly getting others punished as well. So, he decided to simply put his head down and do his job:

 _They locked up until Cena shoved Damien into the ropes. Cena leapfrogged and delivered an arm drag into an arm bar before applying a side headlock. Damien escaped and leapfrogged Cena, but he was countered on an arm drag attempt. He recovered and stomped Cena down to the mat. The referee backed Damien away from Cena in the corner. In spite of that, Damien delivered a few headbutts followed by an overhead slam._

 _Damien continued on the offensive. He hit a neckbreaker and attempted a cover but Cena kicked out. Cena hit an arm drag and attempted an STF but was pushed back and placed in a leg lock. Cena launched Damien up for a neckbreaker and tried a cover. Damien kicked out. Cena climbs up to the top rope but Damien charged right over, followed up and looked for a superplex. Cena fought him off and then connected with a tornado DDT. Cover, but Damien kicked out. Cena looked for an STF but Damien rolled him up and planted him face first. He couldn't capitalize, however, as Cena caught Damien in an STF. The all-powerful Cena wound up too close to the ropes, and Damien made it over for a break before getting behind Cena to lock an STF of his own. Cena used all of his strength to stand up while Damien still had the hold applied. Cena hit an Attitude Adjustment and the match was over._

 _What more could possibly happen to me?_ wondered Damien as he trudged dejectedly down the hall to his hotel room. The floor had been reserved for the WWE superstars, and since RAW was still in progress, the floor was empty and quiet.

Mentally, he kicked himself for not seeking out the Wyatt's locker room earlier. The idea of hanging out with the collection of oddballs was suddenly very appealing, and Reso had been an unexpected beam of sunlight in an otherwise dark and dreary situation. Damien couldn't understand why someone as talented and charismatic as Jason was being so undeservedly held back. No wonder he'd fallen in with the Wyatts. The way the blonde veteran spoke of them reflected a deep affection and gratitude. A deep affection and gratitude that perhaps Damien could share someday.

He glanced to his left and noticed that one of the doors had a light shining under it. _Someone's here?_ A little grin perked up his face as he unlocked his own room and put his duffel bag in the closet. With that task completed, he stepped back out into the hall, making sure he had his card key with him. Getting locked out of his own room, while easily remedied with a trip to the front desk and a backup key, was something he didn't want to deal with at the moment. And, he didn't want to be in his room alone either. _Can't hurt to knock on the door,_ Damien thought, as he approached the occupied room. _Worst they could do is say no, right?_ He screwed his courage to the sticking place and rapped briskly on the closed door.

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! SOMEONE OPEN THE DOOR!" Jay pounded frantically on the locked door. The lights were out in the small room, plunging it into complete darkness. "Help! Somebody help me! Let me out!"_

 _Bray's voice flowed through Jay's ears like strychnine and honey. "It doesn't have to be like this! We can be great friends, Jason. I can help you. I can help you realize your potential. You don't know how important you are to us. You don't know how important you are to this world."_

" _Let me out! I wanna go home!" Jay pounded on the locked door, the chains dangling from his hands jingling in time with the blows against the hard wood._

" _Take a look around you, Jason. This world is full of all these illusions. You've made such a trivial error in following them! Where has following those illusions gotten you? Take a look at the people around you! Deep down, they're disgusting human beings!"_

"Fuck you, Bray!" _Jay spat, his voice gone hoarse by the screaming he'd done the past several hours._ "They're not disgusting! Take that back!"

" _They are! Deep down you know it! They're disgusting because they left you all behind. They abandoned you, and deep down you know it's true. You just don't want to believe it because the truth hurts."_

" _SHUT UP! YOU LIE!"_

" _No. All I tell is the truth, no matter how painful it is … You can be like me, Jason! We can disintegrate this place. We can bury it all and start over with a clean slate of truth! You're bringing all this pain and heartache on yourself. I'm giving you a chance that others would kill for. A chance to start over. Take my hand, Jason. I'll make all of this go away."_

"Over my dead body!"

" _Jason, take my hand! Don't be a bloody fool. I'll make all of this go away."_

 _Jay curled up on the floor in a ball and covered his ears with his hands. No use. The words that Bray had spoken to him earlier in a low, toneless voice—_ obey, obey, obey, obey _—still echoed in Jay's head…_

" _Make it stop," Jay whimpered. "Make it stop…make it go away…stop…"_

~~~ANGEL~~~

The rapping on the door snapped Jay out of his nightmare. He'd just closed his eyes for a few minutes, and BAM! Right into a flashback he didn't want or expect. _That's the last thing I need before flying back to Orlando!_ he groused silently as he climbed off his bed. "Hold on a second," he sighed, padding across the floor. He smoothed out an unseen wrinkle in his shirt before he unlocked the door and slowly opened it.

His face was a picture of surprise when he recognized who was standing in front of him.

"Damien, hi!"

Damien smiled sheepishly. Jay didn't look annoyed; in fact, he looked rather pleased to see him. He, however, was going to tread delicately; perhaps he'd just interrupted the older blonde while he was in the middle of something? "I guess the day I decided to take you up on the offer of swinging by your dressing room came a bit sooner than I thought. Except it's a hotel room, but hey, I didn't have anything to do after my match. You don't mind, do you?"

A slow smile spread across Jay's face. "Of course not. I don't mind at all. Come on in. There's a TV here, we can watch the Main Event..."

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _Betrayal clearly has its own reward: the small deep human satisfaction of having one up on someone else. It is the psychology of the mistress, and this regime used it as fuel."  
_ ― _Anna Funder, Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall_

"I shudder to think what the Wyatts are capable of with a steel cage surrounding the ring," Michael Cole announced to the viewing audience as Bray and Daniel, accompanied by Harper and Rowan, made their way down the darkened aisle with only a lantern to light their way. The Main Event cage match was about to start.

Bray opened the cage door and ushered Daniel inside. Erick and Luke stood impatiently at ringside as they all awaited the arrival of the Usos, and more importantly, the WWE Director of Operations. As they waited, Michael Cole explained the rules of the match. The match could be won by either pinfall or submission, and escape would count only if both members of the team exited the cage.

Finally, with chain and padlock in hand, Kane marched down the aisle, his presence both businesslike and menacing. Since he was the only one with the key, Cole pointed out, it changed the rules. Both members would somehow have to climb over and out of the cage if they wanted to win in that fashion. "Normally, you can escape the cage through the door," Cole explained, "But it looks like this won't be the case tonight with this matchup."

Locking the cage would also prevent Luke and Erick from interfering. They could only look on and hope against hope that Bray wouldn't be humiliated on live TV. Silently, Luke prayed, _Lord, we know that You're about to remove the blinders from Bray's eyes to teach him a hard lesson. We know that we can't do anything to stop what's about to happen next, because it's Your will, and not any of ours. Lord, stay with Bray and let him know that You're God, and don't let him lose his way._

The match got underway as Daniel and Bray engaged the Usos in some early fisticuffs. "As the brawl progressed in the ring, JBL One of the Usos attempted an early escape but Daniel pursued him to the top of the cage. The Uso climbed up after him. Both men were seated on top of the cage. Bryan was pushed back inside but Bray rushed in up to pull the wily Uso back into the cage. Bray slammed the Uso's head into the cage and he dropped to the mat like a sack of flour. The other Uso rushed over and yanked Bray off the ropes. He then scaled the cage in pursuit of Daniel and side slammed him down to the mat. All four men lay flat on their backs as the show headed to its final commercial.

~~~ANGEL~~~

Back in Jay's hotel room, Damien and his new friend were watching the action unfold. "Do you really think they can win this?"

"No. I don't think they'll win. They _won't_ win. And I know that for a fact." Damien could sense a hardness in Jay's voice.

"You seem quite adamant."

Jay finally gave his suspicions a voice. "He's been lying to Bray."

"Who?"

"Daniel. He claims to be a changed man, but he's not. He deliberately cost us the match with the Usos last week when he tagged himself in. I saw the replays. It wasn't a miscommunication. He did it _on purpose._ He's trying to divide us, and he's doing it in the ring. And it's not just that. His fiancée has been oddly okay with this. Knowing our reputation, you'd think Brie would be falling all over herself, trying to help him, quote-unquote, _escape,_ correct?"

Damien found himself agreeing with the blonde Wyatt. "Very correct. You would think she'd be far less calm than she appears. Her reactions are very off."

"And the sad part is, Bray didn't wanna admit that Daniel's been playing us until much later. I think he's hanging onto the hope that we're all wrong about him and that he's for the cause. I have to do something! I can't let Daniel embarrass Bray on national TV."

"You're not scheduled for tonight-"

"It doesn't matter, Damien." A frustrated sigh escaped Jay's lips as he raked his fingers through his scruffy blonde hair. "Daniel's gonna make Bray look like a complete laughingstock, and I can't do anything about it."

"Perhaps you can't do anything to stop it, but maybe you can help him afterwards."

Jay cocked an eyebrow. "Really? How so?"

"You mentioned that you'd descended below all things in your life when the Wyatts found you. Perhaps Bray's gonna do some descending of his own tonight. And then you can help him up. Because if what you're saying is true, the last thing he needs to hear is someone saying, _I told you so._ I think he'd benefit more from someone saying…perhaps, _I'm here if you need me."_

Jay let Damien's words roll around in his head. _He'd benefit more from someone saying…perhaps,_ I'm here if you need me. They made perfect sense. After everything that Bray had done to save him (brutality notwithstanding), it was only right to return the favor.

He reached forward and grabbed his iPhone from the dresser.

Damien watched with interest as Jay's fingers danced nimbly across the surface of the phone. "What are you doing?"

"Contacting the airlines and changing my flight time. You're right. I can be there for Bray afterwards. Turn the TV off. We're going back to the arena…"

~~~ANGEL~~~

After the commercial break, Bray was choking Jimmy Uso against the bottom rope, while Daniel and Jey were exchanging blows. The Usos fought back as JBL spun a nostalgic yarn about facing Eddie Guerrero in a cage match years ago. Bray had his head slammed into the cage; dazed, he lost his balance and fell backwards onto the mat. Jimmy hit a corkscrew moonsault on the Wyatt's paterfamilias.

It was the move of the night. Jimmy attempted a cover, but Daniel charged over to break it. For good measure, he grabbed Jimmy by the hair and flung him out of the ring. While Bray lay on the canvas catching his breath, Daniel tangled Jey upside down in the corner and stomped away before nailing the Uso with a running dropkick from the opposite corner.

From outside the cage, Luke looked on, his expression unreadable.

With Jey temporarily out of commission, Daniel attempted to scale the cage, but his ascent was cut short when Jimmy caught up and grabbed a handful of blue jumpsuit. Jey recovered and got into position for a double back body drop off the top rope that left the combatants dazed.

Bodies were strewn all over the canvas by this point, and a chant of _This is awesome!_ went up from the crowd.

Bray and Jimmy were the first ones up, with Jey following suit. Bray pounded Jimmy, then tossed Jey against the cage wall, and then turned around just as Jimmy attempted a Superkick. Bray grabbed Jimmy by the foot to block the move. A couple of hard roundhouse rights, and then Bray had Jimmy wrapped in his arms.

Bray kissed Jimmy's forehead. "You shouldn't have stepped in the ring with us," he whispered, just before attempting his signature move…

…Before he could connect, Jey rushed Bray and nailed him beneath the chin with a Superkick. The big man crashed back to the mat right next to a dazed Daniel.

It was the break Jey and Jimmy were looking for. Jey helped up his brother, and the two of them staggered towards the cage wall nearest the aisle and tried to scale it. They had to be careful; Luke and Erick were right below, waiting for them to make their next move, and Bray and Daniel had managed to pick themselves up and were now in pursuit. The look in Erick and Luke's eyes said, _Try to get past us. We dare you!_

Finally, all four combatants were near the top of the cage. Daniel straddled the top, and Jimmy was right beside him. The two of them exchanged blows, and Jimmy managed to knock Daniel off the top. Daniel dropped like a rock back into the ring… but as he did, he grinned, grabbed a handful of Bray's pants and took the big man down with him. Bray hit the top rope crotch-first and dropped to the mat in pain. If this wasn't in the heat of combat, Daniel would have laughed.

A sly smile crossed Daniels face as Jimmy jumped off of the cage and right onto Erick. The redheaded Wyatt dropped to the floor, and Jimmy stomped on him a couple of times for good measure. Luke wouldn't stand for this, and he rushed over to defend his fellow Wyatt, unaware that Jey had just leaped off the cage on the other side and won the match

Daniel got to his feet and stood a safe distance away, a wary look on his face. As he gazed down at the fallen, self-proclaimed Messiah, Daniel thought Bray might stand up and shake his fist and demand repentance. He half-expected the Wyatt's patriarch to scream, _You've betrayed us! You unfaithful, ungrateful reprobate! Hypocritical, self-righteous bastard! You have failed me! You've failed us! I hope God strikes you down!_

But he didn't. Bray struggled to his feet as the Uso's practically skipped to the backstage. And…was he… _laughing?_

A loud chant of _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ rose up from the crowd as Bray paced the ring like a big, angry lion. His long hair hung in damp strings around his face. Coupled with his massive beard, it gave him the appearance of a giant taproot with the little branches attached to it. His face was flushed. His eyes were blazing.

" _Don't you listen to them, Daniel! Shut them out!"_ Bray spat, his voice barely audible above the crowd noise.

Daniel stood passively as Bray continued to pace. Obviously, it was taking everything that Bray had to keep from tearing into him. Daniel steeled himself, awaiting what the Wyatts' leader was planning.

Finally, Bray stopped, just inches from Daniel's face. He drew closer, his lips just millimeters from Daniel's ear. His breath was hot as he whispered, "I want to save you, Daniel. But it seems like the past few days, it's like you just wanna throw that away." He paused. "It's not what you've done. It's what _everyone else around you_ has done. I've heard the whispers. I've felt the suspicions. Your little girlfriend's been oddly calm about everything. Don't deny it, because I've seen it. I've heard it. I _felt_ it. And I can _feel_ it _now_." Another pause, and then Bray's voice became lower and deadlier. "I'm giving you one more chance, Daniel. Prove to me that you're loyal to my cause. Tell me that I'm just imagining things. Tell me you're willing to make sacrifices for me."

Daniel nodded. "I'm loyal. I'm sorry if you haven't seen it recently. Give me one more chance. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Then you know what to do. Get on your knees, boy."

The tension was thick enough to slice, and the cry of _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ continued. Daniel stepped back and held his arms out to his sides before dropping slowly to his knees. A smile creased Bray's lips as he approached his convert, and the chant morphed into boos. Cat quick, Bray wrapped his massive arms around Daniel and got him into position.

"Bray—" Daniel started, but was cut off.

"This hurts me more than it'll hurt you," Bray whispered, kissing Daniel's forehead …

… But before he could connect with his signature finishing move, Bryan slipped out of Bray's grasp like a weasel and climbed back to his feet. The crowd erupted in joy, and the shouts of _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ went up louder than before.

Daniel, on the other hand, was wary. Now that he'd just revealed himself, there was no telling what Bray might do. The man was crazy, ruthless, and unpredictable, even with his back turned. And with the cage door locked, Daniel knew he had to watch his step. He was trapped in a cage with a man who was capable of anything.

Outside the cage, Luke and Erick stood helpless. It was like driving past a bad car accident. They didn't want to look, but they couldn't keep their eyes away.

Bray turned then, his eyes bright like gas flames. A smile flashed across his face like a switchblade flicked to life. Daniel could almost feel the rage coming off of Bray, but he stood his ground.

" _You dare defy me, Daniel?!"_ Bray asked, spitting the words out like they were pits. A crackling second passed, and Daniel turned towards the crowd. The crowd erupted into a loud _Daniel Bryan!_ chant, and Daniel soaked up the noise as he backed into a corner. Bray demanded that Daniel stop listening to them, but his words were nearly drowned out by the raucous noise.

"You wanna hurt someone, Daniel?" Bray snarled, changing his tactic. "You wanna hurt _me?_ You hurt me inside already. Why not hurt me physically. Come on, Daniel! Take a shot. Hurt me!" He dropped to his knees and held his arms out to his side. "Bring it to me, Daniel! Come on, big man! _Come on, big man!"_

Daniel's expression was unreadable. Still, he stayed where he was.

A look of disgust twisted across Bray's face as he stood up. "You lied to me," he snorted. "You're a coward! _You're a fucking coward!"_ Like a bull, Bray stomped across the ring to the opposite corner from Daniel. Then, with a snort, he charged.

Daniel had anticipated this, and he easily sidestepped the big man. The crowd screamed in approval as Bray slammed into the turnbuckle, the breath momentarily knocked out of him. Teeth bared, Daniel tore into Bray like a buzzsaw, stomping and punching. Bray managed to shove Daniel to the mat, but it wasn't enough to fend him off, as Daniel stayed on the attack with a running dropkick to Bray's solar plexus. He charged back to the opposite corner and then came back with another dropkick that sent the big man to the mat.

Bray staggered to his knees in time to receive a few more kicks that were punctuated by a hearty cry of _Yes!_ from the crowd. A bounce off the ropes, a roundhouse kick to the head, and Bray crashed in a semiconscious heap onto the mat.

The crowd noise was almost deafening as Daniel glared down at his fallen nemesis and unzipped his jumpsuit, revealing his red trunks and boots. A malicious smile spread across his face as he tossed the jumpsuit aside and put the boots to the fallen Eater of Worlds.

Meanwhile, Rowan and Harper tried frantically to get inside the cage to rescue Bray. They would have demanded that Kane unlock the door, but the Director of Operations was in the restroom and wouldn't be out for another five minutes.

Dazed and hurting, Bray staggered to his feet… only to have Daniel grab him by the hair and toss him into the side of the cage like a rag doll. The force of the throw knocked Luke off the ring apron and onto the arena floor, where he clutched his head in pain. Erick tried to scale the cage, but Daniel grabbed a limp and injured Bray and tossed him again. Erick lost his grip on the side of the cage and crashed to the floor as well.

With his decimation of the Wyatts complete, Daniel led the crowd into another _Yes!_ chant and scaled the cage until he sat on top. Like a king gazing across his kingdom, he continued to lead the raucous fans, a satisfied smile on his face.

He'd defeated his foes… but Karma would soon do a quick turnaround, and the Wyatts would soon get their payback.

With interest.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Didn't think I'd be so relieved to finish a chapter! YAAY! Nearly six weeks, but the Main Event is over. The fallout will commence shortly.**

 **BTW, this is the last book in the** ** _Angel In The Dirt_** **series, but I have another series in the planning stages that spins off of this. It's called** ** _An Army Of Angels,_** **and as soon as this one finishes, (in about three more chapters) I'll get started on that.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	21. Follow Me: Chapter Eight

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Just to reassure my readers …Damien's NOT here to cause any trouble. If anything, he kinda rescues Jay in this chapter, as you'll eventually see. Thanks to everyone who liked the previous chapter. It was difficult to write the Main Event cage match, but apparently I did it some justice, so thanks for the kind reviews.**

 **The next series I'll write will be called** ** _An Army of Angels._** **It'll be a retelling of the Wyatt/Cena feud, with Jay deciding that retirement isn't in the cards yet. If you hated the way it ended, well, you aren't the only one. Bray didn't need to put Cena over, Cena should have put HIM over. So, I hope to rectify that and tell the tale in a more satisfying way.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters. Story series is inspired by and based on theytalktome's Wyatt/Jay series and used with permission from the author. Bray's recollection about Daniel Bryan is from the December 16, 2013 episode of RAW. The** _ **d**_ ** _irty cheats_** **reference that Jay makes in this chapter is from Taylor Swift's song** ** _Shake It Off._**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter Eight_**

 _The war to bring down the machine and change the world is a long and daunting process, and the fallout after the steel cage match in Providence hammered home the point for me._

 _After everything I did for him, after putting my neck on the line for him, Daniel Bryan exposed himself as a coward. A minuscule ant trying to pierce the armor of a scorpion. I felt him, I heard him, and I even held him in my arms. My boys had been gracious, accommodating, and willing to put their own necks out for him. But then Daniel had to humiliate us all._

 _I offered him a way out of Hell. I told him I can take the pain away. But in reality, all I'd felt was his empty heart beating._

 _As I lay in a hospital bed after the match, I realized what a fool I'd been. I owed my boys an apology for doubting them. I owed them my thanks for looking out for me. And I understood what I had to do. If Daniel Bryan refused to walk with the reapers, well… he was gonna burn with the fake saints._

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal."_  
― _Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free_

" _When you think yours is the only true path you forever chain yourself to judging others and narrow the vision of God. The road to righteousness and arrogance is a parallel road that can intersect each other several times throughout a person's life. It's often hard to recognize one road from another. What makes them different is the road to righteousness is paved with the love of humanity. The road to arrogance is paved with the love of self."  
_ ― _Shannon L. Alder_

Bray had been moved to a semi-private room and was lying in a hospital bed, propped up with a couple of large pillows. The black tank top he normally liked to wear to the ring was replaced by a standard issue hospital gown. He had a bandage on the right side of his head where the ER doctor had put in stitches. An IV was plugged into the back of his hand. He was awake, but his eyes were closed. A slow sigh escaped his lips as he parted his eyelids.

"What hit me?"

"You're awake." The voice was unmistakable. "I never thought I'd see the day when you didn't wear one of your crazy shirts."

Bray turned his head in surprise. Jay was straddling a chair. A full bottle of water dangled from one of his hands.

"Jay... what are you doing here? I thought you'd be back in your hotel room sleeping. Aren't you flying back to Orlando in the morning?"

"Luke called me. I rescheduled my flight. I couldn't just leave knowing you were in the hospital. Thought I'd swing by to check on you. I'm flying out tomorrow afternoon."

"You didn't need to do that—"

"Yes I did. You need me right now."

Bray nodded. Deep down, he knew Jay was right. He didn't need someone else telling him he'd been wrong. From the looks of things, the blonde Wyatt wasn't here for that.

"So, how do you feel?"

"Like a Kenworth ran me over, then backed up and ran me over again."

"Can I get you anything?"

"Some water would be nice."

Jay opened the water bottle and handed to Bray. He emptied the bottle in three big swallows. "Shouldn't you have sipped that?"

Bray cocked an eyebrow. "When have you known me to follow convention?"

Jay had to laugh at that. "So if you don't mind me asking, how long are you staying here?"

"The doctors insisted I stay overnight. They're worried that I may have a concussion."

Jay shrugged. "You know how the WWE trainers are about concussions these days. They don't mess around. Perhaps you should listen to them."

"In this case, I think I will." Bray paused. "So, you've made a new friend, I hear."

"When did you hear that?"

"Luke told me while I was getting stitches. I have eight stitches in the side of my head, by the way. I cut my head open on the chain link after Daniel threw me. Doc had to shave part of my head, but my hair's so thick, nobody will notice. Speaking of Luke, where is he?"

"Waiting room. He and Damien were discussing religion last I checked. Erick went to get something to eat. There's a Dunkin Donuts not far from here. He said he'd bring you a couple of jelly donuts."

"Krispy Kreme's better."

Jay smirked. "There's no Krispy Kreme stores here. You'll have to make do, I'm afraid."

Bray chuckled. "So, getting back to your new friend …"

"Damien's being held back."

"Damien?"

"Sandow. He's lost, like I was. Only I didn't seek him out. He found me. And he stopped me from making an enormous mistake tonight."

Bray cocked his head, puzzled. "Mistake?"

Jay sighed and stared down at the floor before he spoke. "I'm not proud of what I did, but you need to know. Before I got here, I swung by the arena. I saw Brie come out with Daniel's things. I wanted to find Daniel so I could dish out some payback. Since she was there, I figured that Daniel wasn't far behind…"

~~~ANGEL~~~

" _Betrayal is common for men with no conscience."_  
― _Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut_

 _"Karma takes too long! I'd rather just beat the crap out of you now."  
-Quote unknown_

 _Jay got the call on his iPhone while he and Damien were in the rental car on their way back to the arena._ " _Hello? Hey, Luke. Yeah? He's where? How bad is it? I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm bringing a new friend, if that's alright. Okay. Keep me updated. Love you back. Bye."_

 _"Bray's in the emergency room, Rhode Island Hospital." Jay ended the call and gave Damien the Cliff Notes version of what they'd both missed on TV._

 _"Oh, no! Is it serious?"_

 _"Hopefully it isn't. The trainers sent him there as a precaution. He was complaining of a headache and blurred vision, and he got busted open after the match."_

" _So we're going there instead?"_

 _Jay's eyes narrowed, and then darkened. "We'll go there, but not just yet." The arena was the next exit, and Jay slow the car down. "I'm giving Daniel a piece of my mind first."_

" _Be careful, Jay. Don't do anything you'll regret."_

 _The arena crowd was thinning out when Jay pulled into the parking lot reserved for the WWE talent and staff. He saw Brie emerge from the building, a couple of bags in her hand. Without speaking, he threw the car in park and approached her, his steps heavy and his strides long and purposeful._

 _Jay's voice was icy. "Where's Daniel?!"_

 _Brie dropped the luggage she was carrying and glared at the blonde Wyatt. "Why should I tell you?"_

" _Because Bray's in the ER, and it's HIS fault" Jay snapped. "He lied! He lied to Bray, he lied to me and Erick and Luke. He lied to everyone who dared to call him a brother!"_

" _Why should I tell you where he is? He doesn't have to give you lunatics any explanation."_

" _Bray isn't a lunatic!" Jay growled, advancing on the snotty diva. "I've heard it all before, Brie. Bray's a psycho, a lunatic, and crazy. Don't follow Bray, he's a wackjob. Well, two thousand years ago, there was a carpenter's son everyone thought was a wackjob, and he did more for this world than you'll ever know. Bray isn't him by any stretch, but he wanted to help your fiancé. He saw a lost soul in need of healing and guidance, and what did Daniel do to us all in return? He spit in our faces before he stabbed us all in the back!"_

 _Brie snorted. "And you actually believe what Wyatt's spewing? No wonder Vince hates you! You're crazier than a bag full of cats!"_

 _Jay snarled and did something he never thought he was capable of. He lunged forward and grabbed Brie by the throat. Terror flashed across her face like lightning, and she struggled in Jay's rock-iron grip. "Let me go!" she wheezed as she was shoved up against the side of her car. "Don't do this!"_

 _"The only thing that keeps me from snapping you in half is the fact that you're a female," he hissed, his blue eyes blazing._

" _Let her go! You wanna hurt someone, Jay, hurt me!"_

 _Jay let go of Brie, who was more frightened than injured by the unexpected display of domestic violence. His eyes narrowed to slits, and rage erupted inside of him like a mushroom cloud at the sound of the voice._ Well, if it isn't the man of the hour, _he thought bitterly before he turned around to face the shaggy-haired traitor._

 _Daniel stood several feet away, the jumpsuit exchanged for jeans and a simple_ Respect the Beard _t-shirt._

" _You..." The single word Jay uttered was an unrecognizable growl._

 _Daniel locked eyes with the blonde Wyatt, and the silence that followed almost crackled as if an electric charge had been released into the air. One second, two seconds …and suddenly, Jay rushed towards Daniel like he'd been fired from a cannon, knocking the beaded traitor to the ground in a vicious spear. Daniel landed hard on the pavement, the wind rushing out of him. Jay locked his fierce blue gaze on Daniel before he let fly with a barrage of punches._

"You lying Judas!" _Wham! Wham! Wham!_ "We offered you family! We gave you a place to belong! We gave you everything we had! And you betrayed us!" _Pow!_ "That's the thanks we get! HOW DARE YOU! I OUGHTA SNAP YOUR NECK LIKE A TWIG!"

 _Strong hands suddenly grabbed the back of Jay's shirt and yanked him off a fallen Daniel. Jay's body surged with adrenaline, and he flailed about in surprise._ "Hey! Let go! GET OFF ME! PUT ME DOWN!"

"Jason! STOP! _You don't wanna do this!" The owner of the voice wrapped his arms around Jay and held him back until the struggles slowed. "I know this isn't my place, but you're about to do something you'll regret! Let's go. I'll drive, you're in no condition to drive right now."_

" _Damien …" Jay gasped as he was set down carefully on the ground._

"Jason! Stop!" _Damien's voice was firm, but kind, as he locked eyes with his new friend. "I know you're angry, but it's not worth it! Don't do this. Don't ruin what's left of your career, Jason. If what Daniel's done is as bad as you say it is, then what goes around will come around, and he'll be punished."_

 _The silence that followed was nearly thick enough to slice. Brie had dropped to her knees and was tending to Daniel, who was nursing a sore jaw and cut lip. Jay was catching his breath and Damien had his arm out in such a way that it restrained Jay and kept him at a safe distance._

 _Finally, Jay fixed his gaze back on Daniel and spoke; if looks could kill, Daniel would be dead a hundred times over. "Go back to your plastic girlfriend," he snarled, his voice low and venomous. "The two of you deserve each other! And mark my words, this isn't over. This is so far from over. It's not even in the same AREA CODE as over!" His fierce gaze whipped over to Brie. "You better not say ONE WORD about this. If you do, I won't be held responsible for what happens to your boyfriend …"_

~~~ANGEL~~~

"It was a moment of weakness, Bray. I was angry. I just… I was just angry, and I dealt with it in the worst way possible." Jay had his head in his hands now, and he couldn't look Bray in the eye. He was just too embarrassed and ashamed of himself. "I may have torpedoed what's left of my career because of it. Yet another reason for Vince to hate me."

Bray reached forward and took Jay's chin gently in his big hand, gently lifting the blonde Wyatt's face so that the two of them could see eye to eye. The big man's voice, surprisingly, was kind and soft. "You meant well, Jay. You were trying to be a good son. Your heart was in the right place, just not your head. But if it's any consolation, what goes around comes around. Daniel's gonna pay for his treachery. It may not be now. It could take a day, a week, a month, as long as it takes, but he'll pay. You just need to be patient."

"I will," nodded Jay, relief drifting across him like a cool breeze.

"You're not the only one who screwed up tonight, Jay. I should have listened to the boys. If I had, I wouldn't be here." Bray sighed and leaned forward so that Jay could fluff the pillows up behind his head. When Jay finished, the big man leaned back into the comfortable nest. "You and the others were right about Daniel. He's nothing but a traitor."

"So why didn't you listen?"

Bray pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and glanced towards the ceiling before he spoke. "I wanted to believe that Daniel was a changed man," he said, honestly. "I wanted to believe that I'd saved him. I wanted to save Daniel from himself, like I'd saved you. He just... he just looked so lost. All I wanted to do was give him a place where he belonged, away from the Authority.

"You know their machine will never let him succeed. They did the same thing to you for years. Same regime, just different names. And if they have their way, they'll continue. Not just with you, or with Daniel, but with anyone else on this roster they consider undesirable." Jay nodded in understanding. Bray continued. "If Daniel couldn't thrive in the WWE, then he could thrive with us and help change the world. You know what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah. I do."

"And the last thing I expected was Daniel pulling the stunt he pulled tonight. I didn't want to believe that after everything I did to bring him into the fold, he'd stab us all in the back." Bray shook his head, his long tangled hair shaking about like the roots of a giant weed. "I wanted to prove everyone wrong, Jay. I saw something in Daniel, at least I thought I did. How could I've been such a fool! I put my neck on the line for him. Deceiver! _Deceiver! Liar!"_ He spat the last two words out like they were poisonous.

"You didn't want to think he was capable of that." Jay paused, and then got to the crux of the matter. "After all the effort you put forth, you didn't want to believe that failure was a possibility."

"You're absolutely right. In my mind, failure wasn't an option, even when it was staring me right in the face and everyone was in my ear about it."

"Well, I'm not gonna tell you _I told you so._ I'm sure Erick and Luke already have that covered. I just wanna say I'm sorry about what happened to you tonight. And I'm here if you need me."

"Thank you." Bray smiled tiredly, feeling a sense that things with Jay had come full circle. Jay had needed the Wyatts after he'd descended below everything in his life. Bray had done some descending of his own tonight, and Jay had chosen to be here for him. Now it was time for him to rise above.

"Uhm, Jay. Your new friend, Damien. Tell him that if he ever has an evening with nothing to do, or if he wants to get together to talk, that our dressing room is always open."

"I told him the same thing. But, if you don't me asking... why would you be so accommodating, especially after tonight? Wouldn't you want to be more careful?"

"Perhaps in this case, it's because he was willing to stick his own neck out for you tonight in the parking lot, and he's not even part of this family. The fact that he sought US out, and we didn't have to beat him up has quite a bit to do with that as well."

Jay nodded. A comfortable silence passed between him and the Wyatt's patriarch before he spoke again. "You know, Bray, you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. That's what my dad's always said to me."

Bray tilted his head in puzzlement. "Where's _this_ coming from?"

"Bray, if I may be so bold, maybe you should stop beating people up to make them join the flock. You can't put a lion in a cage and expect him to be grateful for the shelter. At the same time, you can't beat up someone and expect him to thank you for saving his life. I know I was an exception, but still… "

Before Bray could say another word, Jay drew closer. "For all the good you did for me, I still have scars. Not on the outside, but on the _inside._ One of the reasons why I moved to the smaller place in Orlando was because I can't live in a big house anymore. I tried sleeping in my bedroom, and I couldn't. I kept remembering the days I spent chained up in the garage. Middle of the floor, with no place for me to curl up against and protect myself. It feels like the walls close in. My heart begins to race, and I feel trapped. I have to curl up against the corner of the couch, or wrap up in a blanket to feel safe. Sometimes I'll scream myself awake after a nightmare.

Bray's heart sank. He was beginning to realize that the ordeal that he put Jay through had left him both scarred and healed. He'd hurt Jay as much as he'd healed him, and that was difficult to hear. "Have you… have you seen anyone?"

Jay shook his head vehemently. His voice was firm and steady. "I haven't gone to see a therapist, and I never will. Therapy means I'd have a lot of questions that I'd have to answer, and those questions and answers could lead to big problems. Not just for me, but for you guys. You're my brothers. You're my family. And Luke …I don't think I could love someone as much as I love him." Jay fixed his blue gaze on Bray, his voice firm with conviction. "I could _never_ in a million years betray my family. So therapy's not an option. Instead, I draw closer to the Lord on my bad days. Good days or bad, I know that He's as close as any prayer. I pray to the Lord and let Him take care of it, and that's how I stay sane."

The silence that fell between Bray and Jay was thick enough to slice. One minute, then two. Finally, Bray reached over and took Jay's hands in his. His voice was soft, and while he wasn't crying, there were tears in his voice as he said, "Jay… I'm so sorry. I know what you're capable of, and how important you are to my cause, and I was so determined to show that to you, that I didn't realize what kind of damage I left you with. What the boys and I did to you …it was _criminal._ No matter what kind of brush you try to paint it with."

"You saved me," reassured Jay. _"Never_ doubt that. I'd have been dead if not for you. Out of everyone that I knew, you and Erick and Luke were the _only_ ones willing to save me. Nobody else was brave enough to do what you did. If it hadn't been for you guys, I wouldn't be able to appreciate simple things.

"Y'know, one of my favorite things to do now is go outside on my balcony in Orlando and watch the sunset. It's peaceful, and as the day ends, my problems during the day end as well. At the Performance Center, I'll go work out, and I'll talk to the new kids. I've become sort of an unofficial trainer. I share my knowledge, I work out with the kids, and a couple of them I've been able to bring to the Lord. I haven't told anyone about the days I was so severely punished, and I never will. But I wouldn't have been able to give back to the new kids if it hadn't been for you guys. And I have you to thank for that."

"I should be the one thanking you," Bray answered back, softly. "For not castigating me tonight, although I deserve it. And, for being so forgiving after what I put you through."

"It's water under the bridge now." Jay smiled. He paused and then said, "Have you thought of changing your approach, Bray? Instead of getting down and out about the liars and the dirty cheats in this world and beating people into following your cause, you can take them on in the ring and defeat them. Don't try to make them join the family. Expose them for what they really are and just take them out.

"And at the same time, you can spread your message outside of the ring. You have the tools! You have the manpower! Y'know, I got caught up with all of your promos on You Tube. You had everyone eating out of the palm of your hand. Imagine directing all of that to the masses who really need a savior!" Jay's eyes were sparkling with excitement. "You took Kane out at Summerslam. You showed the world that all Kingston was doing was spinning his wheels. You showed everyone that Mizanin was as fake as his hairdo. You exposed them, Bray. You took them on and took them out. You did that before ..." Jay paused. "And you can do that again."

A knowing look passed between Bray and his convert as the big man rolled the idea around in his mind. Expose the liars and fakes in the ring. Gather followers outside the ring. It was so simple, it was ridiculous. But it could work. "You've given me something to think about, Jay. Perhaps you're right. Maybe I should change my tactics."

"I'm not asking you to become a big softy, Bray. That's not your style. Maybe you could call it …redirection?"

Bray nodded. "Channeling the violence elsewhere."

"It could work." Jay paused. "No, scratch that. I think it _will_ work." With those words, the blonde Wyatt climbed off his chair. "It's almost one in the morning, and I should be getting back. I promised the boys I'd drive them back to the arena to pick up your rental car. And I do need to get some rest." A little smirk crossed Jay's face. "Though Luke might have a few ideas to keep me awake, now that I have some more time. Not that I mind. We'll be in touch, and my phone's on if you need me…"

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well, leave it to Jay muse to blab on longer than I expected! I was gonna include Daniel's explanation as to why he turned on the Wyatts (January 20, 2014 episode of RAW), but that'll have to wait until the next chapter. I'll try to end this with ten chapters, depending on whether or not the muses have more to say!**

 **YOU KNOW THE DRILL! REVIEWS = LOVE**


	22. Follow Me: Chapter Nine

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well, I lost my new 5th gen iPod touch and purchased a replacement (from Craig's List, so it's new to me). Kinda sucks, but it's a collector's item (Product RED model), and I'm watching this new one like a hawk!**

 **Now… raise your hand if you want to see Dean as the next Wyatt *raises hand and glances around* Well, I would! I think it would give me plenty of material for some Wybrose/Braydean stories. Could you imagine my Bray breaking Dean and fixing him? Bray would really have his work cut out for him, but boy would it be worth it!;)**

 **And if the WWE writers attempt that in an effort to turn Reigns into more of a face, then that's gonna blow up in Creative's face big time. If anything, Roman should turn heel, just to be a jerk, and feud with Dean.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters. Bray's Smackdown promo is from January 17, 2014, with a few tweaks. Daniel Bryan's RAW promo is from January 20, 2014, tweaked as well. Promo after the Prime Time Players match is from Smackdown, aired January 24, 2014.**

 **In-ring action is courtesy of wrestleview dot com.**

 ** _Follow Me: Chapter Nine_**

 _Messiah complex?_

 _Punishment of indoctrination?_

 _Well, if you call being on fire for the Lord a Messiah complex, and consider daily Bible study punishment of indoctrination, I guess I'm guilty on both counts._

 _My conversation with Jay in the hospital really made me rethink my approach on things. Like he said to me that night, you can't put a lion in a cage and expect him to be grateful for the shelter. On the same token, you can't beat someone up and expect him to thank you for saving his life. I'd save the physical punishment for the ring. There, I'd expose my opponents for the fakes and frauds that they were. Daniel, of course, was the first on my list of superstars to expose._

 _I promised myself and my "sons" that I was gonna take out Daniel Bryan. And then, I'd change the world. That would start at the Royal Rumble. I was gonna be judge, jury, and executioner. Daniel Bryan would pay for his betrayal._

~~~ANGEL~~~

 _"No need for revenge. Just sit back and wait. Those who hurt you eventually screw up themselves. And if you are lucky, God will let you watch."  
-Quote unknown_

"...He didn't expose you, Bray. He only exposed himself." Jay's voice was tinny as it rang through Bray's cell phone. It was the Monday after Daniel's betrayal, and Jay was back in his extended stay place in Orlando, checking in on the Wyatt patriarch. "He may think he embarrassed you, but the reality is, Daniel made himself look vulnerable."

"You're not the only one who thinks that way," Bray sighed. Erick and Luke were preparing for their upcoming match with the Usos, and Bray was alone in their private locker room. "Erick and Luke agree with that as well. And speaking of vulnerable, you didn't get any sort of punishment for what happened in the parking lot last week, did you?"

"Surprisingly, no. Probably because Daniel's so disliked by upper management." Jay paused. "Bray, what I don't understand is, why did Daniel chose to fly back into the cage he'd tried to get out of in the first place?"

"Fame and notoriety and fake acceptance are just as addictive as an illicit drug," Bray explained. "He's addicted to their approval. Those fans are sheep, Jay. They chant Daniel's name and shout _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ because everyone else is doing it. But, they'll turn on him the moment the next big thing arrives. Just you wait and see."

"I'll be watching you this Sunday," assured Jay. "And Erick and Luke as well. Too bad they're in the Rumble, though. It would have been gratifying to see the three of you take Daniel apart."

"I wanted Daniel in our family initially, Jay, so this match belongs to me," Bray pointed out. "But it doesn't mean that this isn't _our_ fight." Earlier, Bray had been informed that Luke and Erick would participate in the Royal Rumble match. Which was perfect, because now Bray would have a chance to go one-one-one with Daniel. Since Daniel had humiliated Bray on national TV, Bray would return the favor and humiliate the traitorous little gnome right back.

The mild concussion Bray had suffered prevented him from performing on Smackdown last week and meting out a bit of punishment, but he could join Erick and Luke in the ring and deliver a warning:

 _"As a child I wanted nothing more in life than to be powerful like my father. I did my best to appease him, I tried to be just like him! But it was never good enough. He was never there for me, he was never there for me… Listen to this sheeple: bleat, bleat, bleat, bleat! My father, instead of entrusting me with his kingdom, betrayed me. He deceived me. He cast me out to walk among the sheep as one of them—as one of you!_

" _But I always knew that I was destined for greater things. So as I lay there deep down in that black hole gasping for air, just like I lay down there Monday a beaten, battered mess, I had a moment of clarity. It hit me like a ton of bricks. On my path to righteousness, on my path to purity, I would be deceived again. I looked into Daniel Bryan's eyes and I saw it. I felt it. I knew that this was my moment. I knew that this was what I was being prepared for, and that this was what Abigail was talking about long ago. I had to sacrifice myself so that I may be resurrected into the creature I was born to be._

" _Did you really think that you could hurt me, Daniel? Your foolish attempt to stab me in the back... how could you be so simple? I don't bleed like any of you. Daniel, you were given every chance to walk with the reapers. Now you're gonna burn with the fake saints …"_

Bray grumbled as heard the familiar strains of his nemesis' music. "Jay, I hate to cut this short, but Daniel's on his way to the ring to gloat. I need to go put him in his place."

"It's alright. Do what you need to. Make us all proud on Sunday…"

~~~ANGEL~~~

Daniel's music echoed through the arena, and the fans screamed in approval as the WWE's perennial underdog, resplendent in his ring gear and a _Respect the Beard_ T-shirt, made his way to the ring. He hopped up onto a turnbuckle and briefly drank in the adulation of the fans like a cool glass of water before picking up a microphone.

"And some people say I shouldn't be the face of this company!" he snarked, a grin on his face.

He waited for the _Daniel Bryan!_ chants to die down before he started to speak. "After RAW last week, a lot of people have come up to me and asked me 'Daniel, when you joined the Wyatts did you have a plan?'

A loud chant of _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ rose from the jubilant crowd. Daniel smirked. "I think you people already figured it out. You see because to take down a guy with a messiah complex, it's not enough to take him down physically, you have to take him down _mentally._ And to do that, I had to do some things that I'm not proud of."

And he was right about that. Daniel had hated to keep so many of his friends, family, and co-workers out of the loop, but he'd explained himself privately to them, so all was forgiven on that end. Now, he wanted to set the record straight publicly. "I had to keep some friends in the dark. I had to absorb the punishment of indoctrination to be a part of the family, and worst of all I had to stand side-by-side with a group of men who I absolutely _despise…"_ At that mention, the crowd voiced their disgust. "… To just wait for that one moment." Daniel's voice rose. "And that moment came last week _inside of a steel cage when I got Bray Wyatt one-on-one!"_

The crowd roared its approval. Daniel continued. "And I know they are big fans of saying _Follow the Buzzards,_ but guess what? Daniel Bryan doesn't follow _anybody_." Daniel's voice became a growl. "Last week _I_ became the buzzard and _I chewed on the carcass of Bray Wyatt!"_

If the crowd were any louder, the roof would have blown right off the arena.

"You know Bray, this is for you. You like to talk about fate but the truth is this: _I exposed you._ And this Sunday at the Royal Rumble, I'm going to do exactly the same thing."

Daniel paused to collect himself before dropping his bombshell; he could barely contain himself. "You see, just before I came out here, I was informed that Luke Harper and Erick Rowan are going to be in the Royal Rumble match. Which is just perfect, because that leaves Bray Wyatt to go one on one with me."

The crowd roared as Daniel led them into another _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ chant. Taking down the Authority and winning the World Heavyweight Championship could wait. Right now, all he wanted to do was kick Bray Wyatt's ass. In the scheme of things, it was a small victory, but a victory all the same.

His celebration was cut short, however, when the lights suddenly went out. The rowdy chant from the crowd morphed into murmurs of confusion. Daniel shuddered as Bray appeared on the Titantron.

Bray's voice was soft and matter-of-fact. "A man who is not willing to die for something is not fit to live. Where I come from, being a traitor is a sin of the highest order."

Daniel stared at Bray's image, his joyous expression cooling off by about twenty degrees. Bray continued. His voice rose slightly as he paced back and forth. "You didn't _expose_ me like you think, Daniel, you only exposed _yourself_. For only a coward would use his free wings to fly back into the cage where he came from."

A chuckle escaped Bray's lips. "And these people! These people! These _animals..._ oh how they rewarded you," he wheedled, patronizing. "They cheered for you as you stamped me out and battered me. But the reality is, Daniel…. you're nothing but a traitor. A coward. These sheep only look up to you Daniel, because they chose to kneel to a traitor.

"So, what I want you to do now is go home and hug your momma, tell her you love her. And I want you to tell her you're sorry." Bray paused, and his voice became icy. "Because everything that happens to you from here on out... is your fault."

Bray laughed then, and Daniel felt a chill slither down his back like a snake. Even the supportive cheers of his fans couldn't quiet the unsettled feeling that Bray had just instilled in him. Bray's warning rang in his ears: _Hug your momma, tell her you love her. And I want you to tell her you're sorry. Because everything that happens to you from here on out... is your fault._

 _Keep living in your land of denial, Bray,_ Daniel thought. _Because, when I finish with you, there won't be any more doubt in anyone's minds. You're a fraud of the worst kind, and I'll be standing on_ your _ashes._

~~~ANGEL~~~

Bray was right, however. Daniel Bryan truly was a coward. A point that was proven by his actions during the tag match between the Usos and Harper and Rowan later in the broadcast.

Jimmy Uso started the match against Harper. Luke clubbed Jimmy repeatedly with his strong fists before tagging in Erick. Rowan tossed Jimmy out of the ring, and Luke jumped off the apron to pursue the staggered Uso. Jimmy fought him back, slid back into the ring and tagged in Jey. Jey leaped off the apron at Harper. Jimmy climbed back in the ring and traded blows with Luke before leaping off the top rope with a crossbody. Erick made the save, and Jey rushed back in before Erick tossed him out. Jimmy kicked out of a pin attempt by Luke, who managed to regroup.

Erick was tagged back in, and he applied a knuckle vice to Jimmy's face. Luke was tagged back in and attempted another cover, but no luck. Jimmy blocked a splash with a boot and headed to to the top rope to attempt another. Luke caught up to Jimmy and shoved him off the ropes. Jimmy hit the padded barricade chin-first and crashed to the arena floor.

Bray, who was at ringside, was impressed enough by the move that he rose from his rocking chair and applauded his "sons."

RAW went to commercial at that point. During the commercial. Jimmy was back in the ring. Erick bounced him off the ropes, and Jimmy countered with a hard kick beneath the chin that staggered the big man, but didn't topple him. After the break, Jimmy was in trouble once more. Erick manhandled the Uso easily as he dragged him to the Wyatt's corner. Luke pounced and trapped Jimmy in a choke. He then put Jimmy's head between the ropes and connected with a slingshot move.

At that point, Bray grabbed a microphone. "Is this not what you've come to see?" he taunted the audience, as he stalked around the ring like a giant cat. "Does this not do it for you? This is the type of punishment that awaits your hero… Daniel Bryan! He walks into the Royal Rumble, entering a meat grinder. For we are the reapers… and Hell awaits him."

Luke remained focused on his task, which was taking out the Usos. He had Jimmy in a side headlock, and he climbed to his feet and then tossed Jimmy into the Wyatt's corner. Jimmy used this as an advantage; he elbowed Erick in the face and then climbed onto the top rope.

The mini rally continued. He leaped from the rope with a flying crossbody on Luke, which left the big man stunned. Jimmy was stunned as well, but he took the better of the collision and dragged himself back to his corner while Luke struggled to regain his bearings.

"They can't hurt you!" Bray shouted in an effort to encourage his fallen "son."

Jey Uso got the hot tag and took both Erick and Luke out. He connected with a couple of hard blows on Harper, dodged a clothesline, and hit a Samoan drop that sent the Wyatts reeling. Energized, Jey charged across the ring to deliver a butt splash reminiscent of his and Jimmy's father. Erick tried to jump up on the apron but he was swatted away like a fly. Jimmy, catching a second wind, leaped out of the ring onto Erick. Jey tries the same move on Luke, but Luke blasted him with a hard elbow. Jey was only momentarily phased; again he scaled the ropes, but Luke caught him with a sit-out power bomb and attempted a cover. Luke only got a two count before Jey kicked out.

Bray rose from his chair. "Come on!" he exclaimed, approaching his frustrated "son." "Take him out! Jay's watching! Make him proud!"

He was so caught up in motivating Luke that he didn't hear the roar from the crowd until it was too late. He glanced sideways just in time to see Daniel Bryan charge down the aisle, eyes blazing. Before Bray could so much as blink, the little goat-faced troll slammed into Bray hard enough to knock the hat off of his head. The blow didn't knock Bray off his feet, but it dropped him to his knees. Bray rolled onto his back in time to receive a flurry of punches from the traitor. Erick charged over to rescue Bray and received a hard superkick to the jaw for his efforts.

"Get off me, you troll!" shouted Bray before Daniel snarled and pounced on him once again. "You had to jump me from behind, didn't you? This wasn't your business!"

Luke sprung to his feet, torn between pinning Jey Uso and diving out of the ring to break up the assault on Bray. It was this moment of distraction that Jey needed. Catlike, he sneaked up behind Harper and rolled him up easily for the win.

The bell rung, and the Usos climbed out of the ring like scalded dogs. They accompanied Daniel backstage, grateful for his interference.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the Wyatts stood on the arena floor and regrouped. Bray was nursing his sore jaw and Erick and Luke watched the retreating figures of Jey and Jimmy with disgust. Once again, the Usos had stuck it to them, and it was getting old.

~~~ANGEL~~~

The boys would, however, get a measure of revenge against their nemesis on Smackdown, after a match between Erick and Luke and the Prime Time Players.

Luke started the match against Darren Young. Luke powered Darren into the ropes before punching him. Darren fought back, but Harper stumbled him with a punch before hitting a big boot. Erick was tagged in then, and he nailed Young with a fall-away slam. Rowan punches away at him before tagging Luke back in. Harper faked whipping Erick into Young; instead, Erick whipped Harper into Titus O'Neil with a big boot. Luke then shoved Erick into Darren with an avalanche splash. Rowan then whipped the winded Darren into a discus clothesline from Luke for the win.

A chorus of boos erupted from the audience as Bray climbed out of his rocking chair and entered the ring. Luke and Erick propped Darren up as Bray bent back in the corner of the ring across from his "sons." Bray stood up then and stalked towards Darren. He wrapped the beaten combatant in his massive arms and kissed him on the forehead. He struck Darren with Sister Abigail, and Darren's body bounced off the canvas.

With that completed, Bray suddenly felt inspired and grabbed a microphone.

"At the Royal Rumble," he announced, dropping to his knees in front of Darren. "I'm not going to just defeat Daniel Bryan… I'm gonna hurt him." Bray grinned, and then sprang to his feet. "And then… I'm gonna change the world!" He paused, letting the words sink in as he paced. "They won't be able to comprehend my actions… well, not at first. But I guarantee you this. They won't be able to deny me no more."

He dropped back to his knees. "Follow… the buzzards!"

Bray had more he wanted to say, but he was rudely interrupted as Daniel's entrance music hit and the crowd erupted into cheers. He dropped his mic and climbed back to his feet. He glared at Daniel with a put-off expression as the little troll emerged from backstage. Hot-as-lava anger boiled inside of Bray, and Luke and Erick had to hold him back to prevent him from racing down the aisle.

"Come on, Bray!" Erick pleaded with the Wyatt's paterfamilias. "Don't do anything stupid. Wait til Sunday."

"Damn fool's got more guts than brains," Luke rumbled, more to himself than to Bray.

Once the music died down, Dean gestured to the crowd. The chant of _YES! YES! YES!_ was overwhelming. "Listen," he shouted. _"Listen to these people!"_

 _Ignorant sheep,_ thought Bray, as he settled back down to his knees, but he kept that to himself.

"You see, Bray," Daniel continued. "We fear not fate. We fear not the reapers! And we fear not burning with the saints!"

Bray shook his head in amusement. _Turning my words against me. You don't have an original thought in your head._

"Because, this Sunday, at the Royal Rumble," Daniel explained. "When you look across the ring at me, I will no longer be trapped in the prison of _your_ madness. You will be trapped in the prison of _mine._ And _you_ will find out who the real monster is as the entire universe chants, Y _ES!"_ And with that, Daniel lead the fans into another chorus of _YES! YES! YES!_ as his music started up once more.

Above the roar of the crowd, Bray shouted at him. _"Bring it on, Daniel! I live for this!"_

Sunday could not come fast enough. The Royal Rumble would be more important to Bray and his "sons" than any championship. Bray would make sure to hurt Daniel Bryan for his betrayal.

And then, he and his "sons" would change the world.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: WHEW! After nearly two months, I've finally got a new chapter. Hard to write because of stress, Writer's Block, and illness getting in the way. Sorry if it's not up to my own strict standards:(**

 **Next chapter will be the Royal Rumble, and then I'll start on the next series. Anna, the Pollards, and a few new faces will appear.**

 **It'll be a three book series, like this one:**

 **First one will be titled** ** _An Army Of Angels, Book One: War Room.  
_** **Second one will be titled** ** _An Army Of Angels, Book Two: Battle Lines.  
_** **Third one will be (tentatively) titled** ** _An Army Of Angels, Book Three: D-Day._**

 **DON'T FORGET… REVIEWS = LOVE**


	23. Follow Me: Chapter Ten

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: WHEW! It's about time I got to this chapter! Just so much happening at work and at home that it's not funny!**

 **BTW, you'll be interested to know that my OC's are gonna be more prominent in the next series. Anna's foster parents will make an appearance, and they'll have a new foster kid who's gonna be semi-prominent in** ** _An Army Of Angels_** **(COUGH *Extreme Rules* COUGH).**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters.**

 ** _Chapter Ten_**

 _DAN-IEL BRY-AN! *clap-clap-clap-clap-clap*_

 _DAN-IEL BRY-AN! *clap-clap-clap-clap-clap*_

 _DAN-IEL BRY-AN! *clap-clap-clap-clap-clap*_

 _Lost._

 _Yeah, the most over superstar on the roster was taken out by yours truly at the Royal Rumble in Pittsburgh._

 _The dirt sheet writers had the nerve to call me a demonic cult leader. That made me laugh. If they only knew the truth about what I do, they'd be eating their words._

 _I didn't need to do anything else to punish Daniel for his duplicity after the Royal Rumble. Karma did it for me. Sure the little Billy Goat Gruff won that big shiny championship belt at Wrestlemania 30, but he would later undergo neck surgery which would force him to relinquish it._

 _Later, it would go to a selfish part-time guy whose name is not important at the moment._

 _But that didn't matter. What matters is that after I dispatched of Daniel Bryan, I found my next target._

 _Yeah. The man who took out Damien Sandow so that he could keep his spot. The WWE's cash cow. The fakest of all fake heroes._

 _John Cena._

 _My family and I were gonna change the world. But before I set my sights on Cena, I had some housekeeping to do..._

~~~ANGEL~~~

15,715 fans erupted into cheers as Daniel made his way to the ring to kick off the Royal Rumble broadcast. The gigantic _Yes!_ chant that accompanied Daniel as he bounded down the aisle was almost deafening.

He had the entire arena at his feet, but it wouldn't last long.

The lights turned off abruptly, and Bray appeared, flanked by Erick and Luke. As Bray lit his lantern and announced his presence, one of the color commentators complained that the Wyatt's arrival was a buzzkill. Michael Cole provided viewers at home the Cliff Notes version of the Bryan/Wyatt saga as Bray and his "sons" made their way to the ring.

Like a big, angry cat, Bray stalked slowly around the ring as the fans began to chant for Daniel. The WWE's perennial underdog soaked up the chants like he was a giant sponge, but Bray ignored them like the background noise they should have been. He stepped into the ring and locked eyes briefly with his now nemesis before gazing up at the ceiling and uttering the 23rd Psalm.

He ended his prayer with an "Amen," right at the opening bell. Daniel stared at him like he'd lost his mind.

Bray was unfazed. "You try to make a fool out of me?!" he snarled before he and Daniel locked up.

The two brawled fiercely with each other before Bray staggered Daniel into the corner with a headbutt. He bounced Daniel off the ropes and then leveled him with a shoulder block that ran the turncoat over like a freight train. As Daniel's head bounced off the canvas, Bray glared down at him.

"You'll receive no mercy from me," he announced, before following up with a series of stomps, including one right on Daniel's hand. Daniel attempted a comeback with some punches and a high knee that connected almost by accident. Bray crashed to the canvas, holding his left leg in pain. He suspected that he'd pulled a hamstring.

The crowd was super-hot as Daniel drove his knee into Bray's solar plexus multiple times. From his place at ringside, Luke called Daniel an ugly goat, which distracted Daniel long enough for Bray to regain the upper hand. He tossed Daniel into the ropes and attempted a clothesline, but Daniel ducked out of the way and dove through the ropes to deliver a suicide dive to Luke. The crowd shouted their approval, and Erick rushed over to administer some punishment of his own.

The referee saw the potential disaster unfolding and shouted at Erick to step aside. When Luke tried to intervene, the ref decided to send both of them back to the locker room. The situation looked volatile until Bray stepped out of the ring to confront his "sons."

"I don't need you to fight this war for me, Luke!" he exclaimed. "I'm fighting for all of us. You, Erick, and Jay. Go back."

Luke interjected. "But-"

Bray cut him off, and then drew closer. "If we get counted out or disqualified, we'll never recover. Now go!"

Erick and Luke left, albeit reluctantly.

Once they were gone, Bray returned to the ring and focused his attentions back on Daniel. As Bray's "sons" headed to the back, Daniel suddenly threw caution to the wind and leaped over the ropes to deliver a splash to Bray. He tossed the big man back into the ring like he was a bag of trash and hit a series of kicks, before scaling the ropes to deliver a huge crossbody for a two-count. A hard series of kicks to Bray's leg staggered the big man, and Daniel had him reeling.

Or so he thought. Daniel tried an Irish whip, which was easily reversed. Thinking on his feet, he put his boots up and caught Bray in the face. He tried to climb up top again, but Bray anticipated the move and, in a gesture of disgust, knife-chopped Daniel hard enough to send him tumbling to the outside.

A sly smile tweaked briefly across Bray's face as he climbed out of the ring. Daniel had struck his head on the steel steps.

Bray staggered towards the announcer's table and made a face at the commentators before he charged Daniel. Daniel saw his nemesis thunder towards him and managed to roll out of the way. Unable to stop his momentum, Bray tumbled over the steel steps and landed in a dazed heap, clutching his injured leg. A lesser opponent would have stayed out, but Bray was not a lesser opponent. He managed to shake the cobwebs off before he staggered back to the ring. He had to use the ring ropes to haul himself up and through.

Daniel was waiting for him. He kicked Bray's leg out from under him and delivered several more kicks and undercuts to the fallen patriarch. By the time he stopped to catch a breather, Bray was lying in the middle of the ring and writhing in agony.

Daniel glared down at his fallen nemesis. "You're not so tough without your boys, are you?" he snarled, before twisting Bray's injured leg into a submission move. "Who's gonna save you now?"

Bray howled as white hot pain spiked through his leg like a lightning bolt. Daniel continued his assault, yanking Bray's head up by the hair and twisting his arms behind his back. Bray was twisted up like a pretzel as Daniel kicked him in the head. Bray managed to reach inside and came back up with fire. an attempted pin, a kickout, a roundhouse right, a shoulder block and a headbutt, and Bray was back in control. Daniel however, fired back quickly with kicks to Bray's hurt leg. He tangled the leg up in the ropes and dropkicked the leg. Bray slid to the canvas, dazed.

Staying on the attack, Daniel grabbed Bray by the hair and positioned him so that Bray was standing (albeit barely) on the apron. He and Bray traded suplex attempts on the apron. It was a stalemate which ended when Bray got Daniel over the ropes. But instead of Daniel flying out of the ring and onto the floor like he'd hoped. Daniel landed on the apron. The two of them traded blows on the apron which was interrupted when Bray caught Daniel in the solar plexus with a hard knee. Daniel doubled over, and Bray leaped off the apron and onto the floor, slamming Daniel's face into the apron on the way down.

Stunned, Daniel rolled out onto the floor, while Bray paused to catch his breath.

Bray delivered a few stomps and rolled Daniel back into the ring and delivering a suplex that tossed Daniel halfway across the canvas. He slapped a vicious chinlock on the traitor to continue his punishment. Daniel managed to fight his way out, but before he could gain a head full of steam, Bray launched him to the outside. He slithered outside and wedged Daniel's head up against the ringpost before going to town with a series of brutal looking elbows.

He slithered back in and sat across from his fallen nemesis. "Isn't this what you came for, Daniel?" he taunted, before climbing back to his feet. "Didn't you wanna fight?"

Head pounding and ears ringing, Daniel rolled out of the ring… just in time to receive a vicious Senton from the Wyatt's patriarch.

Bray shook his head. "I tried telling him," he said, more to himself than to the audience. He sensed the animosity from the audience and glared at a group of hecklers. "Why didn't you help him?" he demanded. _"Why didn't you help him?!"_

" _You suck, Wyatt!"_ one of the hecklers fired back.

Bray climbed to his feet, throwing the hecklers a look that could break glass. _"Who are you to insult me? Why didn't you help him?!"_

He rolled Daniel back into the ring and hooked a leg before attempting a pin. He only got a two count before Daniel kicked out.

"Don't be such a fool, Daniel!" he exclaimed, circling his nemesis the way sharks circled a life raft. "Don't be such a fool! I gave you the world!" Bray continued before he slingshot Daniel's neck into the second rope and followed it up with a neck crank. _"I gave you the world, Daniel!"_

Daniel fought out of the hold, but his head of steam was once again cut short by a vicious Rock Bottom. Daniel bounced off the canvas and Bray calmly made his way to the corner diagonal from him. He hung briefly from the ropes, then dropped to the canvas and pushed himself up with his hands and approached Daniel with a spider walk. From Daniel's perspective, it looked like Bray was a giant spider on the ceiling, a visual that unnerved him as he struggled to his feet. Then just as quickly as he pushed himself up, Bray flipped back around and splashed Daniel before tossing him face first to the mat.

Bray glared down at him. "Beg!" he shouted, before he attempted another pin. Daniel kicked out once again.

Another chin lock by Bray, and Daniel elbowed his way out. Bray scoop-slammed him back onto the mat, but Daniel got out the way of an elbow drop. the defensive move created a bit of separation, and a chance for Daniel to get his wits back.

Daniel suddenly felt a second wind, and then he went to town with kicks. A drop toe hold by Daniel sent Bray face first into the turnbuckle. As the audience shouted in approval Daniel nailed Bray with another series of kicks that met their mark. He then set Bray up on the turnbuckle and launched the big man across the ring with a hurricanrana! Bray crashed hard onto the mat, but the daring move only resulted in a two count as Bray got a shoulder up.

Both men struggled to their feet, each of them frustrated at their inability to put the other away.

A chant of _This is awesome!_ went up from the enthusiastic crowd as the fight continued. Daniel with a couple of kicks to Bray's chin, an uppercut, and an Irish whip that was reversed, sending Daniel into the corner. Daniel backflipped out of the way as Bray rushed him. He ran the ropes and ducked a clothesline before Bray laid him out with a vicious shoulder tackle. Bray used his own body as a weapon as he laid the traitor out, but the move left him momentarily stunned. Luckily, he had gotten the better of the collision, as Daniel was still laid out. But, his own pin attempt resulted in a two-count as well.

Bray attempted a suplex but Daniel was able to recover quickly and pulled the ring ropes down, a move that sent Bray to the outside. Daniel capitalized with a tornado DDT off the apron that brought the crowd to its feet. Bray writhed on the arena floor, his mouth bleeding. He'd bitten his lip on the way down.

The big man staggered back to his feet, and Daniel struck him with a running dropkick into the barrier.

Daniel continued his onslaught. He tossed a disoriented Bray back into the ring and then hit a missile dropkick off the top rope. Daniel managed a kip-up back to his feet and grinned. It looked like victory was just a running knee away, and he couldn't help but smile. He paraded around the ring for a moment, drinking in the _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ chants that were going up.

Bray had managed to climb to his knees, but Daniel was ready. He softened the big man up with a couple of kicks that took him back to the mat. Another two count because he could. Bray wobbled his way into a corner after the kickout. _You're just a bunch of hot air and pretty words,_ Daniel thought. _Without your sons, you're just like us. You bleed and breathe and fall like everyone else. The entire world's gonna see just what a fake you really are, Bray Wyatt._

 _And I can hardly wait._

The crowd noise was almost ridiculous as Daniel got up once more and prepared for the running knee. He launched himself out of the corner across from Bray. One running knee met its mark.

 _Yes!_

Then another.

 _Yes!_

Victory was at hand as he prepared for a third one...

Or so he thought.

At the last second, Bray rushed Daniel like he'd been fired out of a cannon, slamming into the perennial underdog with a hellacious lariat that sent Daniel spinning to the mat. The vicious collision nearly took Daniel out of his boots.

Bray threw himself on top of the fallen traitor, but the move had merited only a two-count.

He was undaunted, however. Bray picked Daniel up like he was nothing and attempted Sister Abigail, but Daniel proved to be impossible to stop and countered with a rollup for two. Like a snake, Daniel slithered around and locked in the Yes! Lock but Bray bit Daniel's hand to escape.

 _Seriously?!_ Daniel thought as Bray wrestled him down to the mat and whaled away with a few rights. Daniel wasn't gonna go away, but neither was Bray. Failure was not an option for either combatant.

 _"Get up, Daniel!"_ Bray snarled, picking Daniel up by the hair and tossing him into the corner.

Bray set up Daniel on the top rope, and the two of them exchanged headbutts and punches. The thought of a superplex crossed Bray's mind, but it crossed back out as Daniel shoved him back to the canvas and hit a headbutt/splash. Daniel overshot it, but at this point of the game, it didn't matter. He stumbled to his feet and tried for another running knee but Bray wisely rolled to the outside to escape. No matter; Daniel struck Bray with two dropkicks using the ropes to spring him back in. He went for a suicide dive through the ropes, but Bray was waiting.

The big man caught Daniel in midair and kissed him on the forehead. "Nice try," he whispered before he countered with a Sister Abigail into the barrier!

Daniel dropped like a sack of potatoes, and the crowd broke into a loud, expletive-laden chant that expressed their disbelief. Another chant of _This is awesome!_ went up from the crowd as Bray tossed his now half-conscious opponent back into the ring.

He gazed up at the ceiling. _"Follow the buzzards!"_ he exclaimed. _"Change is now!"_

And with those words, Bray kissed Daniel on the forehead and knocked him to the canvas with Sister Abigail again. Daniel put up no more resistance; he was out cold. A wicked grin flickered across Bray's face as the referee delivered a three count.

The crowd response was somewhat mixed as Bray climbed to his knees and held his arms out in a cross-like pose. He heard none of it. All he could feel was a sense of relief and vindication. He felt like his world had finally been set right again.

As he basked in the feeling of justice, Erick and Luke hurried down the aisle to celebrate. Ignoring Daniel's unconscious form, they helped Bray to his feet.

"We're proud of you," Luke smiled, as he and Erick accompanied Bray out of the ring and back to their locker room. This victory was an example of why they chose to rally around and support him. Bray didn't need them to fight this battle. Tonight, he'd fought for Luke, Erick, Jay, the rest of his family, and more importantly, the cause. He'd beaten Daniel and was now ready to change the world. He'd made good on his word.

Once they were all safely sequestered, Bray turned to his sons. A tired but genuine smile lit up his face. "The fight's not over, boys. We're gonna change the world. And we're just getting started…"

 **THE END**

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: YAAY! I'M DONE! This series is finished, but the story ain't over! Like Bray said, we're just getting started.**

 **Now, fair warning… if you're a John Cena fan, I would advise you to check out now. I'm not a Cena fan (Cena the character, NOT the person, there's a difference), and in this upcoming series, he's gonna be my butt monkey/scapegoat/guy you love to hate, and the biggest reason why Bray and his boys are going to war.**

 **The titles are as follows:**

 ** _An Army Of Angels, Book One: War Room  
An Army Of Angels, Book Two: Battle Lines  
An Army Of Angels, Book Three: D-Day_**

 **And if you hated how the Wyatt/Cena feud ended, you're gonna like this series.**

 **DON'T FORGET! REVIEWS = LOVE**


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